Is He Dead?
by Miss. L 2002
Summary: Matthew Morgan was assumed dead since Cammie's first year at Gallagher. She stood over his grave that summer. So why does it feel like he's still around, lingering in the shadows? This mission was unauthorized, under the radar, and dangerous, and the people their up against will do anything to make sure they both end up DEAD.
1. Chapter 1

Is He Dead?

She traced him. For a long time. Maybe her conscious wasn't aware of it, but every time she turned, she was looking for him. She roamed tracking his steps until she could smell his scent through the bullet holes in the wall. But will she actually find him? Who will get hurt on the way? Sometimes, people are better off dead.

Chapter 1: What Started It All

It'd been two years. Two years since I graduated. Two years since I've joined the CIA. In two years I've managed to climb the ladder. I'm the most successful agent for my age. They say I'm just like my parents. More like my dad though. Witty, Smart, and always has a plan. I didn't know him for long, but I wish I knew more about the spy he was. I could tell you about his love for candy or the time he took me to the circus, but I can't tell you a single thing about his missions. Not a single thing.

CIA HEADQUARTERS

18:00 hours.

September 5th.

I walked down the grey hallway and put my thumb on the scanner in front of my office. Looking up at the monitor above my door, it had the usual message.

Agent Cameron Ann Morgan

Codename Chameleon

CIA Agent

Clearance level: 8

I sat down in my comfy office chair for a moment finishing my report. My office was amazing. It had pictures of my friends and family, a mini fridge (with a laser protected safe box for my peanut M&M's), and a secret passageway under my desk that led to the break room, which means I was always first in line for coffee.

"Mariam." I called out. A lady with bronze skin waltzed in and the monitor above the door showed her information.

"Agent Morgan. How are you today?" She smiled bright and put her hand in her jeans pocket. She wore a plain white shirt that had a pen dangling from the top. She reminded me of Bex.

"I'm good, thank you. Can you do me a favor? Take this to the director." She grabbed the file and placed another on my desk.

"New mission. I personally think that it's not a challenge for you." She stood in the doorway for a moment before adding.

"He's looking for you."

"When is he not?" I replied.

I stood up and walked to my fridge grabbing a bottle of water and reading over the file.

Mission Report

Name: Violet Simmons. Hair Color: Brown, gold highlights. Eye color: Caramel. Height: 5'6" Mission: Extract file from Winters. Stop threat at the Governors Party. Agents Assigned: Morgan, Townsend, Goode.

Attached was a picture of the girl and some ID's with her name on it. There were also some messages between the threat and her boss. I read over the last one briefly.

You're only going in to send a message. Remind them who's in charge.

I'll be in and out.

Don't betray me, and don't get killed. You know what happens to those who disobey my orders. Just ask your brother.

What about my brother?

I think he's in a better place now. Or maybe he's in a place worse than here. You don't wanna end up like him, do you?

I hope not to.

I set the file back on my desk and slipped out of my room into the Department of Disguise. I picked up a pair of suit pants and paired it with a white button up blouse. I found a pair of contacts that matched my description and a pre-curled brown wig. I grabbed a pair of black pumps as I put the wig into a high ponytail, leaving strands loose perfectly at all angles. I didn't do any makeup besides a bold red lip. For accessories, I went with a small necklace and a Michael Kors watch, and navy blue sunglasses. I thought about how Macey would've been proud to see me wearing what I was. I opened the door and bumped into a bulky figure in front of me. His normal dark black hair was replaced with a dirty blond color. His sparkling emerald eyes traded for light blue contacts. He wore a navy blue suit with a black tie, the scent of aftershave still lingering around him.

"Agent Morgan."

"Agent Goode." I replied.

"You look stunning today." He smirked.

"You look the same as yesterday." I smiled. He gave a small laugh.

"I believe it is your turn to pick the ride. I hear the helicopter is-"

"Black SUV, tinted windows." I said monotone. I saw the spark disappear from his eyes and let out a laugh. We stepped in the elevator and descended into Vehicular Assistance.

"Anthony, I put in an order for items, please have them ready before I get back." I shot him a look as he scrambled around like a mouse caught in a sticky trap. He was the male version of Liz. Instead of computers and hacking though, he was in weapons and artillery. The guard handed me the keys and I hopped in the car. I rolled down the window and watched as the CIA logo popped up on the dashboard. Zach leaned on the door and looked at me.

"See you in Washington."

"Beat you there."

"Like that's gonna happen." I smiled and pulled out of the parking lot and hit the highway.

D.C. Governor's Meeting

19:24 hours

September 5th.

The stormy clouds put all of the citizens of Washington in a mood. Hues of black and gray filled the sky. As I continued on, it was like I was racing before they caught up to me. Like I was running from them. I drove past the tall buildings and monuments until I arrived at the Hotel.

"That storm looks nasty, Townsend."

"It's just a quick brush pass. In and out. Morgan, you go in first, Goode will follow when the coast is clear. Got it?"

"You know, a gentleman escorts the lady inside." I mocked as I parked the car.

"You're perfectly capable of escorting yourself, Miss Morgan." I could feel him smiling.

"That doesn't mean I want to." I hopped out of the car and closed the door. I wobbled for a second in my pumps before straightening myself and walking inside. I strolled down the long carpet admiring the artwork on the walls. I saw a lady in a short red dress giving me a look. I heard her turn to her friend and make a snarky comment, which I ignored. I stepped up to the front desk where a lady beamed a smile my way.

"What may I do for you, Madam?"

"I'm Violet Simmons, and I'm here to attend the Governor's meeting." I passed the fake ID her way. She handed me a key card.

"Conference Room B13." I smiled back at her and brushed past the lady from earlier. I stopped when I was at her side.

"Next time you wanna make a comment about someone, you probably shouldn't say it so damn loudly." I continued to run up the stairs. By the time I made it, I was breathing short, ragged breaths.

"Been that long since you climbed stairs, Gallagher Girl?"

"Shut up." I said into my comms.

Okay, it's time to be honest. The Governor's Meeting wasn't a meeting, it was a rich bitch party. Powerful leaders and their spouses all over the world were invited to eat smelly cheese and drink expensive wines. I picked up a glass from the server remembering my manners. I took a sip and looked around. There was that lady, again. But this time, she was wearing a long black dress. I realized that it wasn't the first or second time I saw her, but that I also spotted her in my rear view mirror while I was parking, in a long white jacket.

She was a tail.

"Blackthorne Boy." I whispered into my comms.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"The lady with the bob, long black dress, that's the threat."

"I'm on it." He strolled her way. He said something, resulting in her smiling and blushing. She let out a gentle, girly giggle. He was flirting! And she was falling for it. I stood there staring so long that I almost didn't notice the figure approaching me.

"Miss, sorry to disturb you, but I feel I know you from somewhere."

"I don't notice you." I extended my hand. "I'm Violet Simmons, entrepreneur."

"I'm Preston Winters, owner of Interface Software."

"That is truly fascinating." I pulled my hand back.

He stood next to me observing the scenery.

"How is McHenry?"

"Good. She's excelling with the president's daughter."

"Tell her Cammie says hi." I smiled. I looked at Zach as he led the woman into the hall. That was my cue to leave.

"Well Mr. Winters, I'm sure I will be seeing you very soon."

"I'm sure of that also."

I followed Zach closely into the Hall. He and the woman were engaged in deep conversation about their line of work.

"Sir, might I add that you have beautiful blue eyes."

"Why thank you." He smiled.

"And a very toned figure. May I touch your arm?" Zach extended his arm as she brushed her dainty hand on it. She giggled.

"Tell me about being a carpenter." Zach asked.

"Well, it truly is draining."

"I love a hard worker."

That was where I drew the line.

"Too bad you aren't a carpenter." I appeared out of the shadows. "Your name is Petra Violinsky, right?"

"Yes."

"Well the real 'Petra Violinsky' was seen just a minute ago shoveling her porch in Germany. Mind explaining?"

She looked around for a moment before elbowing Zach in the forehead. He knelt down in pain while I roundhouse kicked her. She crouched down before lunging at me. I took a punch in the side. She pulled me, but I shifted my weight on her and pulled her to the ground. Without hesitation I put a napotine patch on her forehead causing her to sleep. I went over to Zach and put my hand on his forehead.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I've met girls that hit harder." He smirked.

"Speaking of-" I pulled him into a death hold so tight that he couldn't squirm. "No more fake flirting on missions, gotcha?"

"Jealous, Gallagher Girl?" He choked.

"Nope, just cautious." I let go of him leaving him to catch his breath.

"And remember, I'm two clearance levels higher than you, you follow my orders."

"That's low, Gallagher Girl. Even for you." He teased. While Townsend and Zach handled the woman I walked out of the hotel and onto the D.C. street. Rain poured down from the skies, clinging to my shirt. I smiled pulling strands of hair off of my face, flash drive in hand.

Ladies and gentlemen, today, tuesday January 9th, 2018 marks the first upload of my new story 'Is he dead?'! To everyone who is reading this right now, this is my first story. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Review because I really wanna hear your thoughts! This might not be the only chapter I upload today, who knows, I might just come at you with a bonus chapter. My upload days are gonna be Tuesdays and Thursdays (even though my first chapter was uploaded on a Sunday.) As for reviews I will reply to anyone who leaves one in the next chapter or by private message.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Trained To Know

I walked into the interrogation room with a smile on my face. I sat down, looking at her, observing. She sat at the steel table with a look of fear on her face. The guard shined a bright, white light on her. She squirmed trying to put her hands in front of her eyes, before realizing she was chained to the chair. Pulling on his gloves, Zach took the serum from Anthony and jammed the cold needle into her arm. She winced in pain, glaring at me as I gave her an innocent smile. He pressed the button and gave me the signal to start.

"I'm going to ask you a couple of questions, is that okay?"

"No." She hissed.

"I wasn't really asking." I muttered childishly. "Full name please."

"Trina Delegato." She said, immediately jumping as if she was trying to figure out how those words came out of her mouth. She calmed down realizing the conditions she was in. She was defeated.

"What was your mission?"

"To send a message. _Le marche sont calme, pour le temps."_ I translated it in my head. Whoever sent her, they wanted us to know that it won't be long anymore.

"You try to mask your accent, but I can tell you're from Spain by the last name. Raised in India, perhaps? It looks so by the way you walk. By the sloppy way you checked your tail, I can tell you have minimal training. The marks on your arm show that you have experience with... torture." I finished, the last part I kept to myself. She looked up at me before looking back down at her hands. She was broken. She is used to being hit and cut and practically experimented with. She knew what it felt like to watch blood drip from her body. She knew what it was like to be hurt. I let my guard down and took it easy on her.

"Where are you stationed?"

"I'm not sure."

"Why?"

"They drug me to take and to bring me to their site. Based on time, I guessed Europe."

"Do you remember these messages with your boss?" She looked at the screenshots before giving a nod.

"What happened to your brother?"

"We were separated when she hired us. I think... he's dead." A tear ran down her cheek.

"Who sent you?" She looked down at her hands in silence. "Trina, you're being abused, I can only help you if you talk to me. Who is your boss?"

"We know not who he is, only that he is the last one standing." She repeated over and over as if she was in a trance.

"Anthony, what's happening?"

"Hypnosis. Altering someone's state of mind to believe that this is the truth, nothing gets through it." I banged my fists on the table in anger. I stared her as the rambling got quiet. Eventually it stopped. She had a big smile on her face.

"What is it?"

"I know him. He is with the last one standing."

"Who?" I asked.

"Him."

"Who?" I pressed for an answer.

"You don't know this, but every time you turn around, you hope that he's there. He is closer than you think."

"You're lying." I started to back up. Zach caught me in his arms.

"You've been dreaming about him. You know that something doesn't add up. You never got closure."

"Stop!" I practically screamed. I felt my heart pound through my chest. I grabbed my head hoping that the throbbing would stop, but it only got worse. I couldn't think straight. I couldn't keep my eyes open. I couldn't function anymore.

"You're the reason he almost dies every day, if only you would've died when the chance was offered." She muttered. I couldn't explain what I felt. I don't think I felt anything.

"Guard, keep her in custody. We might need to interrogate her later."

"No!" I burst out of Zach's arms running to her and grabbing at her throat. "Tell me who it is! Tell me his name! Tell me how you know!"

"I was trained to know." She smiled at me, a wicked smile that sent shivers throughout my body.

"Guard, get her out, now!" Zach yelled. He grabbed me in his arms as they took her away. I willed my tears not to fall. I willed myself to be stronger than that. I leant on his chest as he lead me back to my office. He sat me down on the couch and got me a drink from the fridge along with a pill to calm me down.

"Who gave this to you?"

"Anthony. Apparently one of the guards told him what happened."

"Make sure that guard has a mug of tea before he leaves the office today."

I took a sip of my drink. It felt cold. Cold like my body as she uttered those words. Cold as my heart when I first found out. It's been too long, there's no way he's alive, is there?

"I've got something that'll cheer you up." Zach smiled at me. A genuine smile. From Zach. This had to be interesting.

"What is it?" I murmured looking at the letter. It had beautiful cursive that I've only seen a handful of times in my life. Zach pulled out the letter and started to read.

"We cordially invite our alumni to the Gallagher Academy Alumni Dinner And Fundraiser. RSVP with Madame Dabney, Dr. Fibs, or Headmistress Morgan to attend." His smile got even wider.

"So when do we leave?"

Okay, so this is probably short compared to chapter 1. I'm just getting started. Chapter 3 will hopefully make up for it. Thanks for reading, leave a review xxx (Also, thank you to my first two readers, I love you so much you don't understand it)

Reviews:

Guest7: I know! The small moments are my favorite "little nothings." Maybe what you're inferring is right, maybe it's not ;) I could tell you right now, but where's the fun in that! The others will show up next chapter for sure, but for now, you're gonna want intel on what happens with the suspect. First comes capture, but there has to be an interrogation ;) lots of love xxx

guest: I'm glad you loved it! I will be updating, every Tuesday and Thursday (which is today). I wish I could update more often, but my schedule just doesn't allow it. I'm an author, but I indulge in fan-fiction myself. My favorite author of all time is CammieAMorgan. She's amazing, 10/10 recommend her stories if you've got extra time. Lots of love xxx

CammieAMorgan: I was just talking about you in the last comment :) I'm so glad I saw your review before I updated. Im glad you like it and I hope you liked this chapter too! (I've been meaning to read something missing, but I just started I've always know and I don't want to let go yet so I have screenshot the last two chapters and hopefully I'll review tomorrow)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Gallagher Girls Only

The Gallagher I was looking at came as a shock to my eyes. It was damaged. The effects of the fire forever loomed through the halls. I could still feel the smoke as it absorbed itself into my lungs. I could see the flames and the swirling lights as they swallowed up every exit. The Grand Hall still had burn marks on the floor. I could see the paint peeling from every wall. I cringed at the signs that said _do not cross, construction ahead._ I didn't like what I saw. I hated it. I walked into Madame Dabney's tea room where a small blond figure crushed mine. I admired her short blond curls as I put my head on top of hers, enjoying the moment.

"Liz." I whispered.

"Cammie. It's been too long."

"It has, hasn't it." I breathed. "Liz, I can't feel my ribs anymore." I felt the slit in my white dress getting higher. My legs started to wobble in the 4 inch pumps.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Let. Go." I barely got the words out. Strength sometimes comes in the tiniest packages, and mine was named Elizabeth Sutton. When it comes to hugs, she wins.

"We have so much to catch up on. I'm a biochemist now! Jonas said he would be one too but he changed his mind and decided to mix the fields he was interested in. How is the CIA? I heard you have the highest clearance level that any spy has gotten at your age. I'm so proud of you. Where is Zach? Isn't Townsend helping you guys with missions? You don't understand how much I've missed-"

"Lizzie, breathe." The gold skinned figure put her hands on Liz's shoulders. I looked up to see the lean and tall woman looking at me with her soft, caramel eyes.

"Bex." I walked up to her and squeezed her so tight, it might of cut off blood circulation. I missed her scent. I missed the feeling of her hair on my shoulders when she hugged me. I missed having to see her every day of my life, through the painful days and the most enjoyable days. I missed her.

"You gonna save some for me?" I saw Macey's black hair over my shoulder.

"That depends, did you miss me?" I smiled at her. She came and wrapped me in her arms before holding me at arms length.

"New perfume?" She asked.

"Hasn't even hit the stores yet." I replied. She grinned.

"That's my girl. And your dress!" She exclaimed before eyeing me. "I didn't leave you senseless." She nodded in approval.

"Look at us guys." I looked to the window overlooking the grounds. "Not long ago, we were just agents in training. Now we're the most successful in our agencies, looking back at the times." Nostalgia filled me.

"Cam, Grant says stop being dramatic." I looked around before looking directly at Bex's watch.

"Grant, Gallagher Girls only." I took one last look before smashing the screen.

"What am I supposed to be then?" I felt Zach smirk behind me.

"Stick to being a Blackthorne Boy. You're only allowed because you graduated here." Tina chimed as she walked towards us in a sparkly red dress. "Ladies, Zach, nice to see you again."

"Tina." We said in unison. I felt Bex scowling from behind me.

"I missed you all. Especially my favorite sister Becca right there." She pointed her finger to Bex hiding behind me. She grabbed Bex's arm and pulled her off as Bex turned around and mouthed _help me._ We all let out a laugh, except Bex of course. Zach pulled me out onto the dance floor. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I draped mind on his shoulders. I felt my strapless bra begin to wiggle as he moved his hand to my back. Another strapless dress, as if I didn't learn the first time.

"Gallagher girl, relax a little." He looked into my eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"That's the third time you've looked behind you. Ever since that interrogation you've been shaken. Who's haunting your dreams?" I watched the look on his face as it softened. He wanted to understand me, but I don't understand myself.

"The usual. People who want me dead, people I killed, and the ones who make my life a living hell." I chipped. He pulled my head to his chest. I absorbed his scent.

"It's over. I'm here." He soothed. I stood there for a moment listening to his steady heartbeat as we waltzed around the room.

"Joe, I'm assuming you want a dance too?" I heard him laugh.

"I've gotta admit, even I can't sneak up on a pavement artist. I could never sneak up on Matthew." I felt my heart sink in my chest. My dad. I couldn't stand the pain that trailed me.

"I'm gonna save our dance for later, if you don't mind." I pulled away from Zach.

"I'll wait up for you."

"Excuse me, I'll be right back." I looked to Zach before heading for the door. I went to the one passageway that helped me. The one that would get me out. I walked through cobwebs, my eyes mostly closed. I let my senses lead the way. I stopped when I felt the need to stop. Opening my eyes, I stood in the middle of the gazebo in Roseville. I always had a gravitational pull to this place. I looked at the picturesque town. I could've had this. I could've abandoned my destiny and decided to have kids and bake apple pies. But the rush filled me. Sometimes I question if I made a mistake. I wonder if maybe I took the wrong path. I wonder if a life of pretending to be something I'm not would've been better for me. Falling in love with a normal boy, going to bars and not getting shot, marriage.

"Cammie, is that you?" I looked up.

"Josh Abrams." _Speak of the devil and he shows up._ I eyed him in his pharmacy jacket. "I guess your old man finally got you to take the pharmacy." I smiled.

"Well, he technically tricked me." Josh gave me a glimpse of his sparkly white teeth. When the moment was over, we drifted into an awkward silence.

"You wanna get a coffee? Maybe not today, but some other time?" He asked.

"I'd love to but-" I looked at the mansion in the distance. "I've got to head back."

"Tell him I said hi."

"Who?" I felt my heart start racing.

"Zach."

"He'll hear it." I managed to calm down. I gave him a halfhearted look. He shoved his hands in his pockets.

"It was nice seeing you Morgan."

"You too Abrams." I watched him as he walked away.

"Please don't tell me you miss Jimmy." Bex eyed me sarcastically.

"When did you start calling him that?" I let out a laugh.

"Ever since I forgot his name." She sat next to me, staring, searching.

"Bex, I know you're a spy, but the way you're looking at me is just extra."

"There's something off about you, spit it out."

"Nothings wrong." I brushed away her thought.

"I know I'm a spy, but I don't like being lied to."

"It's nothing." I looked down at my feet.

"Alright, you asked for it." She pushed a gentler dosage of a napotine patch on my forehead. I willed my eyes not to close, but my body decided for me that it wasn't the time for them to be open.

I woke up in the PE Barn not too long later. I was tied to the floor so I couldn't slip out and couldn't move.

"Last chance Cammie, you either tell me what's wrong, or I force it out of you." I saw Bex appear from the shadows.

"No, please." I whimpered.

"I didn't wanna have it end this way. Liz, bring the shot." I saw Liz appear slowly, syringe in hand. I let my screams get louder. Liz pushed the cold needle into my arm.

"What did you say were the new features?"

"It's 7 times stronger than the original, it has a longer effect on the body, and whatever made the subject sleepy is gone. The prototype-"

"I think it's in her system, Liz." Bex looked at me snapping her fingers. When she realized I was up and that the truth serum was in full effect, she began.

"Full name."

"Cameron Ann Morgan." I sputtered.

"Now that I have your attention, what's going on?"

"I've been having dreams that my dad is alive and in deep cover." I said quickly, unaware of the words that came out of my mouth until it was too late. I saw shadows of Bex and Liz moving around. I'm pretty sure I heard someone say _get help_ , but my body couldn't act. My mind had no clue what to think. I laid there silent, gathering the strength to get up.

"Gallagher Girl, what's wrong?"

"You already know."

"You stood over his grave." Macey whispered. She was right. I did stand over his grave. I looked down on the plot of land as Catherine claimed he was there. I dug until the frozen dirt was stuck under my fingernails. But I didn't see a casket. I couldn't tell you if there was even one in there.

"But I don't know what's inside."

"Cam, how can you be sure?"

"Spies don't always follow facts. I'm listening to my gut."

"Cammie, your mom is married to Soloman now, and you haven't seen your dad in years. What if he's not the same?"

"He's my dad. I can't help but try."

"I've got a mission in a couple days." Bex said kicking her feet in the grass.

"And I've got an awards ceremony tomorrow." Liz added. I looked to Macey.

"Don't look at me, I would have to find a temporary replacement for the president's daughter first."

"Fine, we meet back here in two weeks." They nodded in approval as I watched them go their separate ways. Was it selfish? Yes. Was I asking for complete and utter destruction? Yes. Was this gonna hurt a lot of people? Well... if I don't run this time everyone should be fine.

I expected my mom to be alone in her office. She was always alone on Sundays ever since I graduated. I walked in to see Abby leaning against the window and Soloman on the couch, my mother in his arms.

"Squirt." Abby beamed.

"Abby, Joe, mom." I looked to all of them.

"You looked lovely on the dance floor tonight." Joe said.

"And I'll give you that dance soon."

"I see you still like the gazebo in Roseville." My mom smirked. I was starting to get scared of her. I probably turned three shades of red after that. She nodded her head and changed the subject. "Kiddo, I'm really proud of you." She played with the ring on her finger.

"I know." I murmured.

"She's serious Cammie. I just wish your father was here to see how much you've grown." Joe added. What was with him and dad today? I was 2.5 seconds from throwing the first addition of Archery For Beginners book at his head.

"I agree." Abby sighed. "I've been having dreams about him lately."

"I've been hearing Rachel whisper his name in her sleep." Joe muttered.

"He's in all of our minds lately, with you growing up and being more like him." I looked down. He was in my mind too. I couldn't put him out of it.

"I'm going on a mission, not sure when I'll be back. Message the dead drop if you need me." I headed to the door.

"Kiddo." Mom stopped me in my tracks. "Be careful. And come home when you're done."

"No promises." I whispered, only loud enough for me to hear. And after that, I headed back. If I was gonna find a man who is claimed dead, I'm gonna need to be prepared.

I hope you enjoyed the extended chapter 3! It was originally two chapters, but I had to make up for the second one being so short. We got to see a little bit of Cammie's vulnerability with her pull to the gazebo in Roseville. Did you expect that twist? I can finally say that the person she's looking for is her dad! I've been wanting to get that out since I wrote the summary. Keep reading ;)

Reviews:

CammieAMorgan: Hope this chapter makes up for the last one. Yes Zach and Cammie are together (as they should be) but who knows maybe I'll change something ;). And no problem you honestly have so many good stories that are all worth reading. Once I read the heist Society series I'll read the fanfic you wrote about it. Lots of love xxx.

AaGallagherGirl: You're new! First off, welcome, secondly, thanks for your review. I'm glad you like it and I hope you like this bonus upload. It might take a little while before there is another bonus, but who knows, I'm full of surprises :) lots of love xxx


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: To Herd A Cow

I couldn't stay put over the next few weeks. My nightmares came back so I stopped sleeping. When I did drift off, I had the same dream about my dad. He was tall and broad, wearing all black, and he was running from something. Or someone. The dream was never vivid, it always stopped at the same spot. ' _Take care of my daughter'_ he shouted. I started going deeper into the rooms I was allowed in. I explored my clearance level. Turns out, there's a room with high tech computers specially paired with comms and watches and cameras. It's basically a whole network of tracking and well... spying, linked to one computer. Unable to be hacked or tracked. Liz would've killed to see it. Luckily I go unnoticed, unseen (and have very sticky fingers.) These few weeks I've been off radar, cut off connections with people I know. That's probably why Zach grabbed me in the hallway as I was running to help Anthony fix his truth serum.

"Cam, stop."

"I have to go help Anthony with the truth serum, I have to go grocery shopping, and-"

"And you need to take a rest." He looked into my eyes. "You haven't slept in days, I can tell just by looking at your eyes."

"I need to retrace his steps." I mumbled.

"What?"

"That was the last thing I was about to say. I need to retrace his steps, and I know just where to go."

Nebraska

17:56 Hours

September 7th

I walked up to the grassy field in front of the small, cozy house. The shutters were covered in mold and slowly disintegrating. The house itself was in shambles, only a couple walls still standing. I think after my dad left, the house fell apart, just like our family did. I stepped on the pieces of wood listening to them crumble under my feet. When we arrived at the door, Zach put his hand on my shoulder.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?"

"I don't have much choice, do I?"

With that I kicked the door open. I looked down the hall, remembering the times my dad would carry me on his shoulders and run down the stairs. My mom used to cook in the kitchen while we made funny faces and pretended to eat it. This was my happy place, my happy memory. I snapped back to reality as a garden snake swallowed a rat whole. I can tell that good times were over. I walked past until I got to the painting where I assumed the stairs used to be. It was a painting of an average street, with a lady holding her hand up, like she was hailing a taxi. I put my hand on the finger of the lady and felt a small prick on my finger. I listened as the machine started whirring and the mechanical voice asked.

"Full name please."

"Cameron Ann Morgan."

"Secret name."

"Camster."

"That's what your dad used to call you, right?" Zach asked.

"Yeah." I felt my heart crumpling. I remembered that I needed to watch the system, two seconds late and the whole plot of land explodes. The painting finally slid aside.

"You have ten seconds." I didn't need to be told twice. I pulled Zach through the tunnel. We walked and walked through the dark area until we arrived at three doors. A hologram of a man I hadn't seen since I was twelve appeared.

"Cammie, if you're watching this, then you know where you are. I thought I told not to come here." He chuckled. I heard my dads laugh for the first time in what felt like forever. "You're probably grown and become an amazing spy, so you know how to get to where you're headed." He smirked and then disappeared for the second time in my life.

"That was him?"

"Zach, we aren't the first ones to get here. He came." I breathed.

"How do you know?"

"You've probably grown and become an amazing spy." I quoted. "If this was from a while ago, he wouldn't know that he was going to disappear."

"Unless he did it on purpose." Zach muttered under his breath.

"Even if that was the case, that flash drive model is new, I heard about it in the workroom the other day."

"There are like 8 ways to open this." Zach said.

"Nope, only one." I brushed my hand against the smooth rocks until I felt one that was way rougher than the others. I pulled it and entered the passcode.

"Gallagher." I whispered.

"Why would the code be Gallagher?"

"Because I was destined to be a Gallagher Girl." I smiled. The screen blinked _Access Granted_ the floor started to rumble. Next thing I know we were falling, fast. The system must be really old because instead of a trap door in the floor, the whole floor fell. We landed on the rubble with a thud. I looked over to Zach to see if he was fine before realizing that we were right we need to be. I stared at the crayons and drawings that I drew when I was younger. I looked at the filing cabinets covered in dust and rocks from the floor as it fell. I went and pulled them open. It had things like grocery lists and love notes to mom. But I knew my dad, he hid anything secret in obvious places. I opened all of them, written in a code I knew well. It was the code that we decoded in high school, just a little bit different. I pulled out all of the files and shoved them in my bag.

Zach had his bag full of flash drives. We climbed our way back upstairs. I headed to the other set of stairs that led to the bedrooms.

"Woah, I thought we were done." He exclaimed.

"There should be something in their room." I started up the stairs gently, listening to Zach follow behind. "My mom said he used to make videos in his closet, don't remember what for."

I burst the door open and looked at all the burn marks on the walls. I kicked the pile of ash to the side and banged the closet door off the partial wall it was hanging from. I looked over the floor until I found his ring."

"He never took this off." I whispered.

"You know what that means?"

"It means that he hid something in it." I stared at the smooth ring as an alarm started to sound.

"Intruder. Evacuate immediately. You have ten seconds." The machine struggled to sound. I pulled Zach's hand in one and held the ring tightly in the other. I ran dodging spiders (I'm pretty sure I heard Zach scream.) and avoiding dust. When I finally got to the door, the place exploded to bits. I looked at my old house, my one happy memory, as it burned to flames. I looked to the ring, hoping that it would at least have something for me on it. Hoping that I wasn't chasing a ghost.

"It said there was an intruder." Zach mumbled.

"We're not alone." I whispered. I looked at the hill behind the house to see a shiny object, and a red light that was pointed right at me. Sniper.

"Zach, run!" I started to swivel through the tall grass until I arrived in the forests and ducked under the branches. I hid behind a tree and spun around looking for Zach, but he was nowhere to be seen. I looked over my shoulder before continuing on to the one place where not even my mother herself could kill me.

Grandpa Morgan's Farm

19:11 hours

September 7th

"Cammie, how are you!" Grandma Morgan pulled me into the second tightest hug I've felt in my life (Liz still held the prize for first).

"I'm fine Grandma. Where's Grandpa?"

"Sleep. All the lazy hog does is eat and sleep." Grandpa Morgan jumped up from his sleep.

"I heard that, woman." He snorted.

"Well I don't care Jonathan. You and you're McDonald eyebrows are getting on my nerves."

"At least my forehead isn't so shiny that it looks like a damn mirror." He shot back. She cocked a hip. It was one of those arguments where a whole conversation passed between them without words. I stood there observing their body movements.

Grandpa rolled his eyes

Translation: We've been married too long.

Grandma crossed her arms and glared.

Translation: So what, you want a divorce?

Grandpa shook his head.

Translation: No woman I want you to give me a break.

Grandma rolled her eyes:

Translation: You'll get a break when you're dead you nimbus.

I secretly laughed in my head. When the silence was unbearable, I spoke up.

"Grandpa, can I go up to dad's room?"

"No problem." I passed by him and he pulled my arm and whispered in my ear. "Take your crazy grandmother up there with you, just don't leave me alone with her." I chuckled and climb the stairs. When I walked into dad's room, it still had the same metal bed frame and the wooden rocking chair that dad broke when he tried to put a baby cow on it. It's like Grandma and Grandpa didn't want anything to change. I sat in the rocking chair and pulled the laptop out of my bag. It's times like this where I miss Liz. She did all the technical stuff and I did all the, well... almost dying. I rubbed my finger on the ring before I felt a stinging feeling in my thumb. I looked at the ring again to see it making an attempt to scan my finger. I placed my finger on it again and watched as a small USB popped out. I plugged it into the computer. Thankfully, all it asked for was a password.

"Cammie." I tried. _Access Denied._

"Camster." I submitted. _Access Denied._ What would dad put in? I sat there racking my brain for an answer, then it hit me. He disappeared when he went to Rome.

"Rome." I put in. _Access Granted._ I looked through the files until I saw a video. I clicked on it and watched as the tiny circle spun round and round in the middle of the screen. I hate loading circles. The video finally appeared, my dad's face the first image. I ran to close the door before sitting back down and plugging in my earbuds. I clicked play.

" _Dear Cameron," he started. "I know you've found this, it definitely wasn't your mother. You were a smart girl since birth. You knew you could trust me so you gave me your hand, you knew you couldn't trust the doctor so you bit her hand." He laughed, and a tear came down his cheek. "I remember this place where the skies shine so brightly at night that it's blinding. The most lovely people live there. You can smell the earth and breathe the fresh air from the trees miles away. That place is home. There's always a roaring fire, and a rocking chair. I love that rocking chair almost as much as I love you Cammie, I hope to take you there someday."_ And then the video cut off. I bit back my tears and started to rock in the rocking chair. ' _I love that rocking chair'_ I repeated jumping to my feet and feeling around the cushion for anything abnormal. I felt the bump of a book so I took scissors and ripped it open. I pulled out a spiral bound notebook, the pages falling out in my hands. I flipped through it until I found a to do list.

 _Seal windows_

 _Gather firewood_

 _Fix floorboards in the attic_

I ran to the attic taking the stairs two by two. When I arrived I felt for the squeakiest floorboard and pried it out. I found a sliver of paper with a number and an address.

513-469-7723

3960 Avilla place

Cincinnati Ohio, 45212

"Dad, you sure loved riddles, and scavenger hunts." I shoved the note in my pocket just as I heard the doorbell ring. I rushed down stairs to open it and find Zach, soaking wet and in ripped clothes. He looked like he was attacked by a bear in the middle of a lake (and he could've been).

"Nebraska isn't for newcomers." He chuckled. I stood there staring at him as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Cammie, you gonna let him in or do you want him to catch a cold?" Grandma Morgan hissed. It was about to be a long night. I let him walk past as Grandma Morgan brought him a towel and a mug of coffee.

"Wow, Cammie never does this for me." He smirked my way.

"You're lying in front of my grandparents?" I cocked an eyebrow.

"Cameron is still missing a couple manners that only her sweet, darling grandmother-" she hit me on the arm. "Can teach her." I saw Zach struggle to hide a laugh. He won't be laughing for long.

"Grandpa Morgan." He shot up from his snores. "Zach was telling me a little while ago how he wanted to learn how to herd cows." I smiled, watching as a look of terror spread across his face and a small v shaped vein popped from his forehead.

"Well no problem, I love teaching beginners." Grandpa smiled, his teeth falling out of his mouth. "But first, you'll need to pick that up for me son." I laughed silently as Zach picked up the dentures and handed them to Grandpa Morgan.

"Cam, you coming?" He asked. To miss Zach try and herd a cow, yeah right. This would be interesting. I rushed out of the door where Grandpa Morgan had pulled Zach's arm. He started showing him which reflexes actually hold the cow. Zach attempted first by trying to pull the cow (he got kicked by the cow instead) and then he followed Grandpa Morgan's technique (which landed him in the mud, or poop, or both). I listened to him muttering random curses in Farsi and laughed until we arrived at the house again. I showed Zach where to change and then stood in the kitchen gathering my belongings.

"Cammie, where are you going?"

"I would've loved to stay Grandma Morgan (lie) but I have a test in the morning (lie)."

"School is important." She furrowed her brow. "Alright, but you owe me."

"I'll make plans to spend the night another time." I smiled and watched Zach hopping down the stairs.

"You ready?" He put his hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah." I headed for the door, checking behind me three times to ensure that Grandma and Grandpa weren't watching, I pulled myself up the ladder and into the helicopter.

"You smell Zach, and Cammie, you're arm is red." Bex observed from the front seat.

"He herded a cow, I got hit a little too hard by my grandma."

"Zach, and a cow?"

Macey asked.

"Yep, and it was hilarious." I chipped. He glared at me from the back before giving in and laughing also. Remind me to see if the camera on my watch caught it. With the evidence from Nebraska, this mission seemed to be taking a turn for the better.

"Where to next?" Macey asked.

"Rome. I've got a few favors I need to cash in on."

That was 4! Did you like the part about Zach with the cow? (because I did) I hope the description of the grandparents wasn't too basic, it's how my grandparents are :) Next update Thursday, bye lovelies xxx

Reviews:

AaGallagherGirl: I'm glad you liked it! It won't be long before I update, it'll only be long before there is another bonus chapter. I intend to stick to my days of Tuesday and Thursday, and in the event that I am late a day I try to make up for it with an extra chapter. Lots of love xxx


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Romans Bite

"We're descending into a small town behind Rome now." Macey called back to us. I looked to Zach, who had fell asleep on my shoulder, and gently shook his arm signaling him to wake up. He gave me a slightly goofy smile before stretching himself out.

"Did you have a nice nap?"

"It ended before the dream was over. The guy almost got the girl." He smirked.

"That's the second cheesiest pickup line you've had." I smiled.

"I can't think straight with the altitude, remember?"

"Oh, I remember." I chuckled. Bex came in from the front and took the seat next to me. I felt the helicopter getting closer to the ground.

"Breakfast, protein bars and fruit shakes." She grinned watching the expression on Zach's face change.

"What are we on, a diet?" Zach exclaimed. "I expected some exquisite Italian breakfast cuisine, not smashed fruits and fake chocolate." He huffed. "You need it for energy and certain health-"

"I get all the energy I need from waffles." Grant said as he met us in the back. He stood in the doorway smiling.

"Grant, were skipping this meal. Call me when you have real food." Zach stood up and crossed his arms.

"So Grant was driving the helicopter this whole time?" I stared in shock.

"Who else would be driving?" Grant asked. Bex and I both started to smile.

"A Gallagher Girl." We said in unison. They both rolled their eyes before hopping off the helicopter and onto the ground. Bex, Macey, and I hopped off as well into the soft grass. I stood for a second, letting the warm breeze blow against me.

"How do we get to Rome?" I saw a completely black car appear from my west.

"It seems like that's our ride." I watched as it pulled up closer to me. The window slid down as Jonas stopped the car.

"Sorry we're late, there was some last minute things we needed to handle."

"You ready to go?"

"Hop in."

The 2 hour ride to Rome was suspiciously quiet. No one had a word to utter. It's like they were afraid of something. I stared down the long, thin street as we approached a small sandy area. Jonas parked the car and got out, signaling us to follow. We walked through the warm white sand until we arrived at a small, bungalow-like safe house. I walked up to it and pushed the door open. It had things prepared like food, ammunitions, and a dead drop in the oven. I'm guessing that's what Jonas and Liz were preparing. I followed the stairs until I arrived at three rooms.

"We're going to have to share." I announced.

"Me and Grant, Liz and Jonas, Zach and Cammie, Macey gets the couch." Bex said. I drifted my gaze to Zach who had an enormous smirk on his face. I gave him a look and he wiped the smirk right off. I walked through the front door and back to the car, opening the car door and sticking the keys into the ignition. Zach furiously banged his fists on the window, but I ignored it and sped right past him. I drove until I arrived at the biggest castle in Rome.

Roman Embassy

15:09 hours

September 23rd

"Who is it?" A girly voice asked through the intercom.

"Cameron Morgan, here to see Preston Winters."

"Mr. Winters isn't accepting any guests at the mo-"

"Who's here Rosalina?"

"It's me Pres." I said.

"Rosa, I told you to stop ignoring guests just because they're girls." He buzzed me in and I walked through the doors into the long hallway. I strolled on the shiny brown wooden floors until I arrived at a big room with an oval table and a bunch of chairs, where Preston sat. He had a stack of papers in front of him and was scribbling away.

"Cammie, it's good to see you in Rome." He looked up from his documents. "Sorry about Rosalina, she is jealous of any girl that strolls in here."

"Is she your girlfriend?" I sputtered, my cheeks turning red from embarrassment. Preston was my friend, but Macey was my best friend, and frankly, I just had to know.

"No, she's one of my friends I met when I first got here. She helped me establish myself after everything that happened with my dad. She just thinks that I don't need a woman distracting me from my objectives." He brushed away the matter. I took a breath of relief at these words before remembering that I also had an objective.

"Preston, you remember that one time I helped you with that 'thing'?"

"What thing?"

"The 'thing'." I repeated winking at him. His eyes lit up.

"Oh yeah, and I said I owe you big time." He remembered.

"Well, I need your help."

"Anything after you saved me from that."

"Well, I think my dad is alive." He gave me a strange look before trying to change the subject. "You know something already, don't you?" I eased closer.

"Cammie, don't go around digging up skeletons."

"Preston, tell me what you know."

"Sometimes people are better off dead." He whispered. I looked him straight in the eyes as fear crossed over his face.

"Preston, I need you to let me access the interface for a few minutes." "Cammie, he's not alive."

"You wouldn't know that!" I shouted. "Cammie, you don't want to go searching for him, it'll only break you more."

"You wouldn't know, you don't understand." I rolled my eyes.

"I understand more than you think. My dad is dead too, in case you've forgotten." He looked to the floor.

"His death was verified, no one knows if my dad actually died or not."

"Cammie, I can't let you use the interface. Maybe another time, but not for this."

"Well, you should've told me that when I walked in." I turned and stormed out of the room, ignoring the dirty looks I got from the cleaning ladies. I got into the car and slammed the door shut, jamming the keys into the ignition. I sped down the street listening as the tires made screeching sounds on the asphalt. I didn't need Preston. He wasn't the only one who owed me a favor.

I parked close to the sidewalk and approached the small coffee shop. Some people take the time to admire the craftsmanship of the colorful handmade sign that read 'María's Cafe', or to look at the open sign dangling from the window, or to admire the decor on the inside, but not me. I check to see if there were any familiar faces, anyone who knows me will know what I'm here for, and that makes me a target. I push the door open, watching as the tiny bell jingled. I walked to the barista in front.

"Cameron?" She blinked three times before looking at me again. "I knew you'd come back to see me." She hopped around the counter and came to give me a hug. I stood there in her arms absorbing the scent of cookies and coffee. She pulled me at arms length observing me. "There's something diff- Ha! You got new glasses, you cut your hair 1/6 of an inch, and you switched lip glosses." She smiled.

"I can never get past you María." She pushed her dark blonde hair to the side, then pulled it back into a high ponytail. She had broad shoulders and a wide waist, along with beautiful tan skin. Whenever she laughed or smiled, her whole essence filled the room. And for some reason, she made aprons work in a way that no one else can.

"María, I need your help."

"What happened?"

"You remember how I was drunk that one night and I told you about my dad?"

"Yeah, that was a good and bad night for the both of us." She laughed.

"Well, I think my dad is alive, and Preston won't let me use the interface to check." I huffed. "You should've seen what he said to me, walking around in his fancy office with his expensive pens, he's impossible!" I exclaimed.

"He's always been that way, for as long as I've known him. Being on his protection detail was the hardest job I've ever had." She sighed.

"Can you ask around the network if there is anyone who has seen him?" I pulled the wrinkled picture out of my jean pocket. She took it with caution, gave it a good look, and then tucked it gently into her apron.

"Sweetie, you know I don't want to get back into the network, but I'm doing it because I care about you."

"I know, thank you María."

"I just hope I find your father." She smiled. "You wanna taste the newest cookie flavor? Four types of chocolate and three different types of nuts."

"I would love to."

"And a cup of coffee, extra creamer, extra sugar?"

"Goodness María, I should've come sooner." María grabbed my order and sat me down at one of the booths. We had a nice talk about old times and stuff that has been happening in our lives lately. For someone who barely reached her thirties, she still didn't have much to say about herself. It was good, until she branched into dangerous territory. You know the old saying, romans bite.

"Where is he?"

"Who?"

"Derek, my brother? She pressed, her Italian accent thicker. I went into a state of panic.

"We're over."

"Cammie, what happened?"

"We ended."

"Why?"

"Because it was time for us to end, okay?" I snapped. I took a moment to breathe, letting the silence overwhelm me. "I'm sorry María, I gotta go. Tell me if you hear anything." I picked up my coffee and headed out, tears streaming down my face.

I hope that this chapter was good! I'm sorry that I was late, I caught a cold and I couldn't upload, I also lost my voice :(. And when I tried to upload it, it was in some type of secret coding so I definitely had to fix that. But that's not an excuse so I am gonna follow my rule and there will be a bonus upload. Do you think María will find anything? And can you believe the way Preston acted towards Cammie? The nerve. Who is Derek? Leave a review ;)

Reviews:

Guest7: I'm glad you're back and that you liked the chapter. Back to your question from the last comment, yes all the events from the book have happened and it's been two years later. And I'm glad you liked the cow :)

AaGallagherGirl: Glad you've liked it so far, and that you liked the cow :). The heartbreak and drama is just getting started.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Pain Follows Me

I felt the change in atmosphere as I entered the safe house knowing all eyes were on me. In the living room sat Grant, Zach, Macey, Liz, Bex, and Jonas. 6 pairs of eyes. If looks could kill, I would be way past dead.

"Where were you?" Zach said staring into the fireplace. I could see the reflection of the flames in his green eyes. He was hurting, he was mad, and I felt like I let him down.

"I came here to cash in my favors, that's what I intend to do." I said walking into the kitchen.

"From 3pm to now? Cam, it's almost ten pm!" Bex snapped. Her voice was sharp, it could've sliced a heart in two and not have to pull back.

"I don't know about you guys, but I wanna find my dad." I crossed my arms. Maybe if I was stubborn I would get out easily.

"And you think we can't help you? You think we're here for a vacation or-" Zach began to ramble.

"I never implied any of those things. I just- there are some things I need to do alone." I stuttered. "There are ghosts in Rome that-"

"Cammie, what about us?" Zach snapped. "You want us to sit and wait obediently while you to go out into a place where you've been targeted and chased and almost drowned in a bread truck, you think that's easy on us? On me?"

"Turn up the TV."

"You wanna talk about TV now?" Macey chimed.

"I'm serious guys, turn it up!" I yelled snatching the remote from Grant's hand and raising the volume.

"Devastating news in Rome." Tina Walters started. It's had been months since I've seen Tina. Ever since, well, a couple months ago when I went to her that night. She shuffled the papers, I could see and feel her nervousness through the screen. "The known and loved María's Cafe has been shut down after an open shooting. The shooter approached the owner with a gun and shot her directly in the chest. She was rushed into an ambulance with internal bleeding. Local authorities say that she still has a possibility to make it. The shooter, on the other hand, has yet to be identified or found. This, my dear citizens, is truly a devastating loss."

"Shut it off." I whispered.

"But-" Grant started.

"Shut it off!" I yelled. "It's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's-"

"It's a random civilian death, how is it your fault?"

"It's not a random death! María made the mistake of being my friend." I screamed. "I'm the reason that shooter came at her! I made her dig up a skeleton!" My fists became clammy. I held my hands at my sides as sweat dripped down my face. Why does pain follow me? Innocent people who make the mistake of getting close to me have a headline on the news. They all end up dead. I felt the urge to... run. I wanted to run. I needed to run. I burst through the doors, listening as Zach continued rapidly behind me. I ran to the foot of the water and threw a rock into it. I knelt down into the sand and put my head in my hands. A tear ran down my cheek, more of them threatening to follow. Zach knelt down next to me and put his arm on my shoulder. I pushed it away wrapping my arms around me and gently rocking on my knees.

"Gallagher Girl, stop."

"Stop what?"

"Stop pushing me away. Stop rejecting me. Stop running away from me."

"Zach I'm not running away from you."

"Cammie, I'm here to help you. I'm not your enemy, I want to help you find your dad." I pulled him closer to me. "I love you, Zach." I pulled him in as his lips touched mine. I kissed him passionately and grabbed his collar. He pulled me over him and pushed my hair to the side. He held me in his arms staring into my eyes. I laid my head on his chest listening to his breathing. For some reason I felt like I needed that kiss. I felt like I needed to reassure myself. I needed to make sure that Cammie from a couple months ago was long gone. I needed to make sure that coming back wasn't a mistake, that I shouldn't be somewhere else.

"Get up."

"Why?"

"I'm gonna make it up to you." I smiled. I put my hand in his and we ran to the car. I started the ignition. "Might wanna send a message to the others, we're gonna be out for a little while." He took his phone out of his pocket and his hands started to fly across the keyboard.

"Is that all we needed to do?"

"Yeah. Now I'm gonna show you what I did those past months in Rome."

I know, it was short! It was a gap filler, none of this was included in the original chapter 6. I also had to make chapter six a bit different. I can't make all the bonus chapters long, I'm sorry. What does Cammie mean by that? What will happen between them? I told you that things were just warming up. Have a nice weekend!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: 'Hope Breeds Eternal Misery'

I parked across the street and pulled the keys out.

"A hospital?"

"Not just any hospital, it's the hospital where she's being hold."

"How did you know?"

"Because it's not the first time she's been here." I stepped out and we entered the hospital. I approached the help desk. The plump man sat at the desk typing until he sensed my presence.

"Mam, may I help you or are you going to stand in silence?"

"Cameron Morgan, here to see María Ńolã."

"María Ńolã can't accept visitors."

"Really, because her doctor is right there escorting a visitor who just came from her room. I could tell your manager about this, or you could take me to see her." I cocked an eyebrow. The plump man angrily pushed himself out of his chair and directed us to the elevator. We went up to the 6th floor, surgery recovery patients are on the 6th floor, which meant she made it.

"Go to room 301, knock before entering." The man huffed before hopping back into the elevator. We walked to the end of the hall looking through the small window of María's room. She stared at the view of Italy, probably wishing that she was looking at it from her house instead of a hospital room. I knocked gently. Her head popped up quickly before her signaling for me to enter. I pushed the door open quickly and rushed to her side, grabbing her hand. She looked at me with big eyes, slowly putting her other hand on top of mine. I let a few tears fall on her hand.

"María, I'm so sorry I made you do that, I didn't know-"

"Cammie, it's okay."

"You got shot María, it's not okay."

"It's not the first time, is it?" She smiled, color popping into her now pale skin. I brushed my tears away with my thumb.

"Can I get you something? Water? Donuts from that 24 hour bakery?"

"Get him for me."

"Who?"

"My brother, Derek."

"He hasn't visited you?"

"You know he's mad, and you know he can hold a grudge."

"So even if you're in the hospital, Derek can't put away his ego for a couple seconds and come see you?"

"It doesn't matter now. He has information that I need you to have. I wanted to give it to you before you left Italy, but you had bigger problems on your hands." She muttered. I saw her gaze as it drifted to Zach.

"That's him?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Can you not talk about me like I'm not here?" Zach huffed.

"Sorry. My name is María, I've heard so much about you, Zach."

"Well since you've heard about me, I'm guessing I don't need to introduce myself."

"Maria, I'm going to get that information from Derek, I promise you."

"It's somewhere in his apartment. Just push him, he'll give it to you." I gave María one last look before leaving her room.

"Stay safe!" She called out.

"Not in the job description!" I called back. I was right. Staying safe was the one thing that the CIA could never promise an agent, whether you stay safe or not is in your hands.

"So where to next?"

"Tina. Tina Walters."

I approached the large, New York style building. When I arrived, the guard escorted us personally to see her. We stood in the elevator listening to some old Lady Gaga song until we stopped front and center in her living room. Tina sat on the couch in a silk robe reading reports that I think were to be published on the news tomorrow.

"Cameron, Zach, it's been a while." She said getting off the couch and entering her kitchen. She came back with a variety of wine and a box of cookies. She set them on the table. "Feel free to help yourselves."

"No thanks, I'm the designated driver tonight." I smiled gently, remembering my manners. Zach on the other hand, went right in.

"What can I help you with today?" She asked.

"You reported María's shooting."

"I also just came from the hospital after seeing her."

"Have you found any leads on who the shooter was?" Tina put her cookie down and picked up what I thought were news reports. She slid them in my direction and put her hands together on the table.

"Paid assassin. Got a couple messages, some things from a dead drop before he arrived, his arrival and departure dates and times, and I think I found a credit card number." She rambled on.

"You're not putting all of that on the news, right?"

"Of course not. All they need is a name and a face. The rest of the information goes to the organization that first asks for it. I'll keep you updated when I hear of his location."

"Thanks for staying on top of it after I called. And thanks, for last time."

"No worries." She replied. She escorted us to the elevator.

"Cammie."

"Yeah?"

"Kill him." She muttered.

"Consider him dead." I whispered. She smiled as I watched the elevator door close.

"I'm guessing we're not done yet." Zach murmured.

"Only two more stops." I laughed, watching him as he rubbed his eyes and wrapped his arm around me.

"I had wine and cookies, don't be surprised if I fall asleep." He smiled.

"Aren't you afraid of Rome at night?" He said as we drove down the road.

"No. The worst thing that happens in Rome at night is a drunk girl that wanders into the street." I chuckled. We continued the drive until I arrived at the apartment building. I parked across the street.

"Stay in the car." I ordered.

"Why? Cammie, where are we?" Zach asked.

"You said you don't wanna be left behind, but you're not coming inside either. I'll press the alarm if anything." I got out and slammed the door. Through the window I could see him crossing his arms and scowling. I continued to the small apartment building and buzzed 4C.

"Who is it?" He answered aggravated.

"It's CM." I answered. I could hear his troubled breathing for a couple moments before there was a buzzing noise coming from the door. I pulled it quickly and entered the warm hall. I started up the stairs, Derek meeting me halfway up.

"Are you insane?"

"It's in my job description." I smiled.

"Cammie, we agreed to keep a distance." He said, the words stinging like a flesh wound.

"Derek, I need you. María was shot."

"That's not for me to get involved in anymore."

"Derek, come on. You can turn your back on me, but I'm doing this for María." I touched his jawline. He tensed up at first, before relaxing and bringing his hand on top of mine.

"I spent months reminding myself why I had to let you go, I can't go through that again." He turned around and started up the stairs. I followed behind him ignoring the fact that he didn't want me to. I walked to his door and watched him as I tried to slam it. I put my hand in front of it and forced the door open.

"Derek, you tried to kill me when we first met, and I forgave you. I even fell in love with you after it. Can't you put it past you for one second and think about María?"

"Cammie, my heart is telling me to, but my head isn't. That means I shouldn't do it." He looked down to his feet, his curly brown hair covering is brown eyes. He had tan skin and a toned figure just like María, they were siblings after all, just that Derek was my age.

"Don't listen to your head or your heart. Listen to my voice, and listen to your gut. Breathe, and listen. What is your gut telling you to do?"

"Why do you keep coming here? You came here after breaking up with me, you're here now, I need to know why. That's what my gut is telling me." He whispered.

"Hope. I have hope that I can get you back to a happy life. And now I hope that María will make it."

"Hope breeds eternal misery. Get rid of it while you can. Bye Cameron." He turned and started down the hall in his apartment.

"She's your sister for damn's sake!" I yelled after him. "I'm asking you to care about your sister, I don't need you to give a damn about me, I need you to do the opposite actually." I calmed myself a little, staring at the shut bedroom door. "She said there was something here for me, important information, Derek." I listened for a while before he opened the door and looked at me.

"She told me that it was for an emergency." He handed me a small box. I gave him a hug. He embraced it for a couple seconds before pushing me away."

"Be careful." He whispered.

"I'll try." I muttered. "And Derek, go see her, you're the only one she asked for." I added before leaving his apartment. I didn't utter a word to Zach the whole car ride. He didn't need to know what had went down in there.

We pulled up to an open area of grass. I silently exited the car, Zach following behind me. I went a couple feet away from the car before standing and screaming. I let my lungs and my voice do the talking for me. I stood still, the air filling me up and the sounds of nature taking me over.

"This is what I wanted to show you. When we went our ways, I was stationed in Rome for a couple months. I was stressed, I was tired, I cut off everyone who cares-"

"You don't need to explain yourself-"

"I do. When I couldn't take things anymore, I came up here, and just like now I'd scream. I'd scream until the next day I could barely talk. I did a lot of horrible things here Zach. I killed a couple people, betrayed some more. I lost myself here." Zach grabbed me in his arms, rubbing small circles on my back. We walked back to the car in silence. Drove back to the safe house in silence. Got into the house in silence. And went to bed in silence. Except I didn't go to bed. I slipped off the bed and headed to the bathroom. I turned the shower on, stepping in. I felt the icy cold water on my skin as I scrubbed every trace of Rome off of me, every trace of what I did here. I stepped out and wrapped a towel on my head. The least of my worries were catching a cold. I couldn't sleep. My mind didn't want to. I eased out of the bedroom and down the stairs, gently opening and closing the front door. I drifted barefoot through the warm white sand until I got to the hammock. I sat on it reading through some of the files.

 _June 17th_

 _Mission in Greece:_

 _The mission was successful. We disabled the bomb and now Greece is still in one piece. Abby said that she still doesn't understand how I got that chocolate, what can I say, it's an addiction._

 _October 31st_

 _Mission in Gambia_

 _Does Halloween get any spookier than real blood being spilled? The mission was a success at the cost of a couple lives. I could just kill the director. I have a daughter. To watch all this blood being spilled could make her a target. I'm making enemies that my daughter will acquire when I die. What did I get myself into?_

I skipped to the last entry he wrote.

 _May 4th_

 _Mission to Rome_

 _I'm leaving. I leave this behind to my daughter who will find it on her own. I know Cameron, she's got my genes. I went to Rome. If you're reading this, I didn't come back. I know you like to seek answers, like when you tied me to a chair with a rope because I took a bite from your cookie. But things stay unanswered sometimes, and sometimes it's for the better. You want closure, it's in this journal. I love you, this is the spy I was. I did everything I did for you. I hope that one day, whether you accept my mistakes or not, you'll be proud of me. I'll always be your daddy._

 _-M.A.M._

I left it to my bittersweet tears to wash the words off the page. I held the journal to my chest, and closed my eyes. I can't tell if I was in a state of sleep, it felt more like a state of numbness.

Thanks for reading :) and you Pretty Little Liars fans understand the quote in the chapter title ;)


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Dibs On Your Plate.

I had the same dream about him, but it was vivid this time. We were on the same street in Rome. There were a bunch of lights illuminating the city, yet it was still dark. My dad was running, but what I never noticed was he wasn't the only one. I was with him. He had my hand in his. I was bruised and battered. I looked like I had been drugged, and I was running barefoot. My hair was damp had twigs and leaves in it. My wet hoodie and my leggings clung to my body. I could hear the sound of my feet hitting the pavement, the water splashing against my legs as we ran through puddles of rain until we got to a tall building. It's like he pushed me to another figure who came from the depths of the darkness. "Take care of my daughter!" He yelled once again. I rolled off the hammock into the sand waking up from the nightmare. It was probably 5am. I pulled my robe closer to me in a scurry gathering the files that were next to me, but the journal was missing. I shuffled around shaking the blanket on the hammock in vain. The journal was stolen, which meant I'm not the only one looking for my dad, I'm not the only one who knows he's alive. I just wished they hadn't taken the one keepsake I had of him. I wasn't going to wallow in my sorrows though, so I slipped back into the house, avoiding the creaky spot in the door. I stared to tiptoe to the couch, until the soft light from the kitchen turned on. I ducked down behind the kitchen listening to the hushed conversation.

"Something is wrong with her."

"She's looking for her dad, who she thought was dead since she was twelve. I'd be surprised if she wasn't paranoid. You have to understand her." Bex soothed.

"There's something she doesn't want us to find." Zach threw his hands up in the air.

"She has nothing to lose Zach. You're being over dramatic."

"Bex, she didn't want me to come in to the third stop. 3 out of 4 stops I went with her. What was so special about the third?"

"She was stationed in Rome for 6 months, for damn's sake. I can't tell you what happened." Zach grabbed her arm and shushed her. They listened for a little while, then left the conversation at that. I snuck back upstairs and closed the door again. I sat on the bed waiting for the sun to rise. When it did I pulled on some black leggings and a white tee. I paired it with some suede booties and a pair of sunglasses. I grabbed a handbag and ran downstairs.

"Where you headed without breakfast?" Grant called out.

"There's one more thing I need to handle before I leave Rome for Cincinnati." I said.

"Fine. It's your stomach's funeral. Imagine what your stomach will go through." He pulled up his shirt a little and scrunched his stomach. "Cammie feed me or I'll die." He mocked. I did the same as him.

"If I can live off breath mints, not eating breakfast won't kill me."

"Before you leave you have to promise that I have dibs on your plate." He looked at me with a pout forming on his face.

"Guys, Grant has dibs on my plate." I yelled up the stairs for everyone to hear. I got into the car to my last destination in Rome.

"Cameron, it's a pleasure to see you again. Would you like to withdraw from your account?"

"Yes I would."

"How much?"

"My insurance."

"I'll get it for you." The lady walked behind the counter, her heels clacking against the floor, before coming back with an envelope. She passed it under the visor and gave me a smile.

"Thank you and we appreciate you banking with us."

I took the envelope and set in the passenger's seat of the car. I picked up my phone and dialed Bex.

 **What's up Chameleon?**

You guys left the house yet?

 **We are getting our bags in now.**

I'll meet you wherever the helicopter is going to be. Send me the address.

 **Gotcha, see you soon.**

I sped off down the roman road. BOOM. I saw an explosion about twenty meters from the car. I watched as the bits of asphalt mixed with fire shooting up into the air. I swerved in the road and made a U-turn, accelerating and weaving in between cars. BOOM. Another explosion I could tell was at the bakery a block away. I took a road that went uphill to try and avoid another explosion. I kept going up the hill, until I saw some people on motor bikes speeding right next to me. They attempted to shoot at the windows as I slammed the accelerator. Someone found out I was in Rome, and they definitely didn't like it. I swerved my car in the direction that the shooter was and then sped right back down the hill. The other shooter followed quickly, so I bumped the car into him, staring as he flew across the road and fell of the bike. I watched them lay in the street through the rear view mirror, and continued down the hill, not worrying about the enemies I left. I had a feeling that there would be much more of them.

I was quiet the whole jet ride home. I don't know if it was because it couldn't bring myself to tell everyone about the attack, or if I just had nothing to say. Either way, they were definitely gonna pry it out of me.

"Juice? Cookies? Anything?" Macey asked.

"Don't have much of an appetite." I replied.

"For someone who didn't eat breakfast, and skipped dinner last night." Grant chimed.

"Hate to admit it Cam, but both of them are right. You aren't eating." Liz added.

"I just don't feel like it these days." I shrugged.

"You need to keep up your energy if you want to continue this mission." Bex stared at me.

"Am I the only one who noticed the scratch marks on her arm that she tried to cover with a jacket?" Zach observed. I pulled the sleeves of my jacket further down my arm. "I mean, when we left Italy it was almost 90 degrees with no wind, which isn't jacket weather." He finished. The others looked at him in shock for being the first to notice. I felt my palms getting sweaty as I stared at all of them, while they were staring at me.

"Where did you go when you left this morning?" Macey pressed.

"The bank." I said looking to my feet. It wasn't a lie, but I saw Liz checking security feed behind me. She gave them a nod meaning that my story was verified. "See? I had to pick up something."

"That doesn't explain the scratch marks." Zach added once again. I calmed myself and looked them all straight in the eye.

"I was driving this morning and I saw a cat in the road. I thought it was hurt, so I pulled over and tried to help it. But it wasn't injured and it jumped up and attacked me." I watched as all of their expressions changed, none of them believing what I said. Eventually they let it slide and ended the matter.

"You're acting weird, I just hope you know that we're gonna find out about it." Grant declared before leaving the room. I watched the beige doors close as everyone took their places, except Bex. She was the one person who still stood with her arms crossed, staring at me.

"So in Cincinnati-"

"No talking to me about the mission, at least not until you've eaten." She set a plate down and took her seat. I fiddled with the food on the plate until I felt nauseous. Pushing fruit around shouldn't be this exhausting. I took a couple bites from the sandwich and a few pieces of fruit before pushing the plate away and staring through the window. The clouds looked like a giant fluffy pillow as I closed my eyes and drifted off.

I don't remember us landing in Cincinnati. I don't remember me being dragged into an empty apartment. I can't even tell you how I fell asleep. I looked around at the white walls and smelled the acrylic paints lingering around. A gentle breeze came from the balcony door, where a dark figure stood staring out at the stars.

"There was something in that sandwich." I rubbed my eyes.

"That's for you to handle with Bex and Macey, I have no clue about it."

"Where are we?"

"The apartment across from the source." Zach turned around to face me, a giant smirk on his face.

"Do I even want to know how we ended up here?"

"No, but you will want to take a look at the security footage." He helped me up and led me to a room where Liz and Grant sat, observing multiple computer monitors. I saw a figure moving around. The footage was in fast forward, a normal man doing normal things. Bex, Macey, And Jonas must be stationed at the safe house like I had initially planned.

"I'll check it out later." I said and walked back out onto the balcony. I stood letting the lights of the city fill my sights, not the images of the man on that screen. I found calm in the sounds of the car horns beeping and the changing of the stop light. I stood still controlling my breathing and letting my mind find what I needed. Instantly I felt a sharp pain in my head. I let out a quiet welp, but it wasn't quiet enough because Zach heard it and rushed outside. He grabbed me by the shoulders.

"Are you okay?" He felt my forehead.

"Yeah I'm fine." I pushed his hand off gently. We stood in a slight awkward silence.

"Cammie, you've bee having your nightmares again, haven't you?"

"Why do you ask?" I looked at him.

"You avoid sleeping at all costs, and when you do drift, you start mumbling things, things that worry me."

"Things like what?" I felt my pulse racing and my heart threatening to beat out of my chest.

"Betrayal leaves you hurt, my hands leave you dead." He whispered. "When I told the others about it, they probably drugged you. I came to check on you and you choked me." He unzipped his jacket showing me the red hand marks on his neck. I traced my finger on it watching him since in pain. I backed up into the wall, as if I had seen the devil himself. He saw that I was frightened and dragged me into a hug. I rejected his touch, feeling as if I didn't deserve it.

"Zach, you shouldn't be comforting me, I tried to kill you." I breathed, my last words looming in the air around us.

"You didn't know it was me. You were seeing a ghost." He took a deep breath, smoothed my hair, and put his head on mine. I didn't deserve it, I felt like a stranger trapped in another body. We finally pulled apart, the curse of awkward silence creeping it's way in between us.

"I can order Chinese." He offered as he walked inside to grab a menu.

"It'll be like that mission we had in Chinatown. You're whole face started turning different colors." I laughed.

"I didn't know that it was duck! Nor did I know I was allergic to it!" He exclaimed. He came back to the balcony and ordered it, this time making sure it wasn't duck. When he was finished, we stood admiring the starry night. I felt the urge to let the truth burst out of me. I wanted to tell him about the attack, about how the nightmares being more clear, I wanted to tell him everything. I almost did, but of course the world doesn't always let you have your way.

"Zach I need to tell you something-" I was interrupted by a gunshot. I followed Zach's gaze as he put his hand on the wound next to his ribs. I rushed to his side, wrapping a scarf around his waist.

"Grant! Liz! Get help!" I yelled, the air thinning around me. "Stay with me." I slapped him awake, probably harder than I intended. His eyes swirled around as Grant helped me get him into the car. Liz sat in the drivers seat, Grant hopping in the passengers seat. I held Zach's head in my hands, him laying on my lap as I stroked his hair and applied pressure to the gash.

"Hurry up! He's fading away." I yelled.

"Liz won't be able to drive with you yelling every three seconds." Grant called back.

"Grant, he's losing too much blood, I can't lose him!" I shouted as if being louder will make him understand better. He turned on his chair to face me, his hand reaching out to stroke my face. I calmed a little before he jammed me with a needle of cold liquid. My eyes popped up in shock as I stared at him.

"I'm sorry, but I need you calm, you can't go crazy on my hands. It'll all be over soon." The last few words Grant uttered blurred in my ears as my whole world drifted into darkness.

Zach is shot and Cammie is drugged, perfect way to end a chapter. Do you think that Cammie will tell them about the attack? Do you think that Zach is okay? Is someone going to save the day, or is this where their story ends? Leave a review ;)

Reviews:

GallaghergirlsEmbassyrowFan: Hi! You're new, so welcome! I'm glad you liked the chapter. I've actually seen your reviews on Something Missing. I'm glad you gave my story a chance and I hope you liked Chapter 8. Xxx


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: He Can't Die

I woke up tied to a chair, of course, not that it was necessary. I realized that when we arrived, I was still under the drug, but they injected me with something worse. I could see and hear everything, but I couldn't react. I couldn't scream or cry or hit Grant for drugging me in the first place. My friends came in and checked on me, all of them giving me pity apologies. It didn't hurt me that the people I trust most in this world betrayed and drugged me, but the fact that they paralyzed me and subjected me to feeling completely and utterly useless. Zach lie on the bed motionless, blood seeping from his wound, nurses crowding around him. Wren's stride changed as he neared Zach and I, a look of sadness looming over his face.

"Cammie, it's time for us to drag him into surgery. Don't worry, I won't let this kid die." He smiled. I wanted to thank him or cry or smile back, but I couldn't. "Don't worry, your gratitude is implied. We'll get you off the drug soon." And with that he exited. Now came the worst part, waiting. The thing that made the wait even more unbearable was the fact that I didn't know what I was waiting for. Was I waiting for Zach to be dragged back into this room? Was I waiting to see him smirk at me again? Was I waiting for Wren to come in her with bad news? No, I was waiting for this serum to wear off. I remembered that it was time sensitive, and fortunately for me, time was running out. With that thought in my mind I felt movement in my fingertips. I attempted to force that momentum throughout my whole body. I heard footsteps down the hall so I pushed harder. I felt a tingle in my toes, my lips quivering slightly.

"Cammie?" Bex called, her fingertips still in the doorknob. I swung myself around, pulling her into a choke hold.

"How dare you make me feel weak at a time I should feel strong?" I whispered, the words still hanging from my lips. She struggled, but she didn't dare utter a word. "And when confronted you have nothing to say? You had lots to say when you were feeling guilty about it." My voice shook uncontrollably. I lowered her body down as she became unconscious. I exited the room, my gym shoes squeaking on the floor, as I treaded up to the operation floor. I roamed the halls, looking at patient summaries that hung on the doors until I arrived at room 519, where Wren stood on the opposite side of the glass window, staring at me. He let the sight of me occupy him for a moment before redirecting his attention back to Zach. I watched as they poked and prodded my boyfriend/partner with weapons called needles and scalpels. While Zach lie there unable to feel a thing, I felt everything. Every poke, every cut, the cold needle pulling itself in and out. Without noticing I had my hand on my ribs, my finger tracing a circle close to where Zach's wound was. Wren came out, wiping his brow.

"I see the serum wore off, I'm guessing someone was late." He smiled.

"They're honestly idiots. They should've had me hooked up to an IV." My eyes drifted back to the window. "How is he?"

"My friend is still getting some of the bullet fragments out, but there is a large amount of swelling. We're going through with the surgery, but there are huge risks involved."

"So you can't tell me if he's gonna make it?"

"Hey." He grabbed my arms. "I will not lose him, neither will you. I want you to go down to the cafeteria, grab a bite, and when you come upstairs Zach is going to be up, and he's going to hug you and everything will be alright, gotcha?" I nodded my head. "I have to get back in there, I'll see you soon." He gave me one last pat on the back before creeping back in. I watched him as he picked up the weapons of doom once more. I put my back to the wall, slowly sliding down it. Memories from the tombs overwhelmed me. I remember him holding my hand. I remember us finding the journals. I remember the fire. The explosion. Him promising me he would make it out, and he did. I remember the hollowness in my bones whenever I looked at him and saw how broken he was, and how well he hid it. I remember it all. Is that how Zach felt? Was he always looking at me, as I lay broken on a hospital bed? Did he ravage for answers to questions he couldn't ask? Was he constantly scared of losing me too? I was tired of the doubt that filled me. I pulled out a burner phone and dialed a number I knew by heart.

 _Mom?_

 **Hey kiddo, what's wrong?**

 _Zach is in the hospital._

 **Is he okay?**

 _I'm not sure._ I took a deep breath. _Mom, how did it feel when you realized dad was missing_?There was a long pause on the line.

 **I was mostly scared. The spy in me knew he was gone, but the wife in me hoped to see his face again, for him to pick me up in his arms and laugh and call me dramatic for thinking he was dead. Part of me hoped I wouldn't have to explain this to you.** She let out a halfhearted laugh, but she was clearly crying underneath it.

 _I can't lose anymore people, mom. I lost dad, but I can't lose Zach._

 **You know, he said something similar when you were in the hospital. He tried to kill himself, Edward and Joe had him pinned to the floor. The only thing sad about it was how hilarious I found it.** We both let out a chuckle.

 _Thanks mom. I miss you and Joe by the way. I never realized how much I needed you until I moved out._

 **We miss you too. Call me with updates in his condition.** And then she hung up. I stared at the phone for a couple seconds before seeing Townsend speed walk down the hall and towards me.

"Ms. Morgan, what happened?" He breathed. I pointed my finger right at the window. His gaze followed and the light in his eyes changed, they lit up like matches.

"I'm so sorry Townsend, I-"

"Don't worry about it." He straightened his already crisp shirt.

"I am worried! I brought him on this mission and now he's hurt-"

"That's what he signed up for when he decided to be a spy!" Townsend shot back. We both took a moment to calm ourselves, our gazes both on Zach's corpse.

"He's being targeted." I whispered.

"No he isn't Cameron." He hastily whispered back. His voice was strong enough to shatter the windows, that is, if they weren't bulletproof.

"Townsend can you stop for one second and listen to me? There was a distance between us, and I'm telling you because I don't want this to be like the circle-

"No one will hurt my son!" By this time, both of us were shouting.

"A son you didn't know about until he was an adult? That son? Face it Townsend, Zach is your son by blood, but you'll never accept him!"

"I am doing my best to accept him, but you wouldn't understand, your dad is dead." The last four words sliced through me like an icy cold knife. I kept repeating it in my head. _My dad is dead. My dad is dead._ Maybe if I said it enough it would believe it.

"Yeah, my dad is dead, rightfully so." I turned my back and started walking away.

"I didn't mean it Cammie." He called after me.

"But you still said it." I whispered, just loud enough for him to hear, and then continued out of the hospital.

CIA Headquarters

21:00 hours

I didn't expect to end up here, in the middle of headquarters, striding towards the Weapon Artillery. I decided that for once this mission, I was going in head first, and there was no one stopping me.

"Hey Ant." I gave a gentle wave.

"Cammie! I've been meaning to tell you that the truth serum was a success."

"I'd love to talk about it, but I need to go. I need a forensics kit, a mini hand gun, those new bullets we worked on, and serum 181 and 507." I rattled off my list. Anthony stared at me with both a mix of confusion and utter stupidity.

"I'm not sure Cam; I mean-"

"Anthony less questions and more preparing." I swiveled around and headed to my office, grabbing a change of clothes. I picked a loose, cropped grey hoodie with dark leggings and gym shoes. As I headed out, I walked past Zach's office, realizing there was one more thing I needed to do. I wrote a note on a piece of evapopaper, questioning whether I should leave it here or swallow it. I mean, my dad left me notes, which brought me here in the first place. I figured I should take my chances and slid the paper under the door. I descended back to the Weapon Artillery, where Anthony had a suitcase for me ready, my name in bold letters. I took it from him and smiled, before getting in the white Ford Focus and driving off.

Wren's Hospital

21:37 hours

"Cammie?" Zach pulled himself up slowly, before feeling a sharp pain in his abdomen. He grasped his ribs as Wren came to lay him back down. "Cammie." He whispered again.

"I'm sure she's just in the cafeteria, she'll be back soon." Wren soothed, sedating him once more. For a moment, there was completed silence, but Wren knew it wouldn't last long.

"CAMERON ANN MORGAN IF YOU DON'T COME OUT RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE GONNA WISH YOU DIDN'T SNAP MY NECK!" Bex yelled from down the hall, her voice getting louder as she neared the hospital room. She kicked down the door with all of her force and stood there panting.

"Well where the fuck is she?"

"You know, these doors are expensive." Wren rolled his eyes.

"Can you just tell me where she is?"

"Can you people stop asking me? Honestly you were supposed to be watching her!"

"It's not my fault she put me in a choke hold!" Bex shot back. A small vibrating coming from the table interrupted them. Dodging all obstacles Bex beat Wren to the phone.

 _Baxter speaking, what do you want?_

 **It's Anthony from Weapon Artillery, can I speak to Wren?**

 _Sure, I'll put it on speaker._

 **I'd rather speak to him in private.** Anthony challenged.

 _Too bad, I'm putting it on speaker_. Bex pressed a button on the phone. _Now talk._

 **Cammie came in here a couple minutes ago asking for a a forensics kit, a gun, and some bullets trained assassins are afraid of, along with serums that the creators regret making. I'm worried she might be making a mistake somewhere.**

 _Thanks._ Bex hung up. She grabbed her phone and her wallet and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To find Cammie. And when I find her, she's gonna be a dead spy walking."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: You Want Answers?

I walked through the brown halls of the apartment once again. When I arrived at the door, I took a deep breath and pushed them open. The smell of acrylic paint was gone this time. I strides towards the balcony and looked down. Anyone who was shooting at Zach would have to come from the little forest a couple meters from the bottom floor. I sped out of the door to the foot of the trees. The first thing I saw were tiny, dainty footprints. I guess whoever shooting at him was a girl. A jealous ex perhaps? I pulled out my camera and took there precise snaps. I continued in pushing my way through the thorns until I found blood smeared on the leaves and a couple drops mixing with the dirt. I pulled the gloves and some evidence bags from the forensics kit, gently cut the leaves off and placed them in the bag. I continued walking to look for clues, but to my disdain, I couldn't find anything more than that. I headed back to the apartment for analysis. I ran into the room and started to set up, until the man we were watching on the monitor caught my eye. He was zoomed up and close. He had found one of the bugs.

"Damn CIA. He whispered before attempting to smash the metal ball, in vain, because the bug pushed out tiny needles that poked his finger. He cried out in pain, picked the bug back up, and threw it outside his house. I was done. I was done waiting for the answers. If you want answers, you knock on the door of whoever has them and demand that they tell you. I guess that's why I was angrily banging on his door. It opened with a swing, a bulky man behind it. He had kinda gold eyes, blond hair, and a really dark mustache. His age was even close to my fathers. I stood there in silence, slightly embarrassed for banging on his door in the first place.

"I was expecting you, but I heard that the miraculous Chameleon is much chattier than this." He smirked. A smirk that reminded me of Zach. My heart sank a little more. He motioned for me to enter. I swiftly slid past him taking a safe position on the dining room table. He took his place on the table.

"Cameron Ann Morgan, code name chameleon, level nine clearance, daughter of Rachel and Matthew Morgan." He finished, almost seeming proud of himself.

"Okay, you read my file, can we move on to the important stuff now?"

"I knew your dad. We were partners until we joined the circle." I felt my heart rate accelerate.

"You're lying, my dad would never-"

"It wasn't in the way you think-"

"It doesn't matter! He was apart of the people who followed and tortured me for years. He watched as they made me lose everything!"

"Your dad is a good man." He whispered. I felt my breath hitch.

"Is?" I asked. "As in present tense?"

"I meant was, I made a mi-"

"Spies like you don't make mistakes. That's how you escaped the circle, am I right?" I cocked an eyebrow. He took a pause.

"If spies don't make mistakes, I wouldn't have lost my mom, or my brother." His voice cracked. I lowered my guard.

"How was he?" I sputtered quietly. "You know, was he a good spy?" I lowered my head.

"He was the best the CIA had, that is, until you came along. Good man, good spy, great father from what I can see, Matthew Morgan was one of a kind. I certainly will honor his memory." I pushed myself out of my chair and headed toward the door.

"Won't you stay a while? I'm cooking." He offered.

"No thank you, I should head out." I stepped into the hallway, the door closing behind me. I let out the breath I was holding. Was it the end? Was it closure? Or was it the fact that the man in there basically tried to drug me? I ran into my car and slammed the door shut. I beat my hands on the wheel until they were a bright shade of crimson. Anger and despair coursed through my veins. I started the car and sped back to the hospital.

"How much longer?" Zach complained, as he lie on his side in the hospital bed.

"I've been dealing with your whining and almost dying for a good couple of hours, I'm more ready to get rid of you than anyone." Wren shot back.

"Apparently it's not enough if you're letting me borrow your clothes. Deep down, you love me." Zach smirked, putting his hand on his heart.

"Love to get rid of you." Wren chuckled. "Not even on your feet yet and you're back at it with the smart remarks. Honestly how does Cammie deal with you on a daily basis?"

"Well because she loves me." Zach replied. "If only Macey felt the same way about you." He taunted. Wren punched his arm. "I'm guessing that means shut up. I must've struck a nerve." Zach chuckled.

I ran into the room and grabbed Zach in my arms.

"Careful Gallagher Girl, squeeze too hard and I just might die." I quickly let go of him and hit his arm. He rubbed the red hand mark. "I see that someone missed me." He smiled. I looked Zach up and down. He wore a white button up shirt that he neatly tucked into black suit pants. His hair was wet and shiny, and he smelled like Wren's cologne. Wren had given him a cane, to help him walk.

"Thank goodness. Your time here is officially up, get lost." He begged. Zach swung his feet to the ground before hobbling and making his way to me. I heard footsteps down the hall, but I ignored them and grabbed his arm.

"Does that hurt?" I asked. "Anthony gave me these pills in case-"

"CAMERON ANN MORGAN!" Bex yelled turning the corner. I immediately shushed knowing that an angry Bex would kill me without even making it to the room.

"What did you do now?" Zach whispered.

"You don't remember?"

"No."

"Stop being a wimp!" Wren yelled from down the hall, his white lab coat swinging behind him.

"Shut up!" Zach accidentally yelled back. Bex then ran down the hall to the hospital room, putting me in the same choke hold I had her in a couple hours ago.

"Let go." I struggled in her arms.

"You choked me for looking out for you, I'm returning the favor." She tightened her grip.

"Bex, I'm sorry." I begged. Macey, Liz, Grant, and Jonas rushed into the room pulling us apart. I bent down on the floor, catching my breath.

"You could've at least let me at her until she was unconscious!"

"I'm not hauling her into the car!" Macey yelled. Grant started to approach me.

"If you help her, you're next." She snapped, one finger in the air. I stood up and dusted myself off.

"Meet me in my office, and we'll handle this like Gallagher Girls." I grabbed Zach's arm once again, and helped him into the hall. I saw Wren turn the corner and make a funny face at Zach. Zach stuck his tongue out.

"You two have been having fun. You and Wren." I laughed. Zach put his hand on his forehead.

"Don't leave me alone with him again." He sighed. "It seems you and Bex have been having fun too." He chuckled.

"Don't get me started on her case. I've got a couple things to tell you, later of course, don't wanna ruin your recovery."

"I think I'll be spending the night on that couch in you're office." He smirked.

"I think you'll be spending it on the one in your office, with a trained medical practitioner." I mocked.

"But I'd prefer you to be my nurse." Zach whined.

"Not available tonight." I smiled, and helped him into the car. I sat in my seat, and Zach brushed his lips against mine.

"I missed you." He breathed, our foreheads touching.

"Even after watching you almost die, I'm still not gonna be your nurse." I whispered.

"Damn it!" He yelled, and we both broke into laughter.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11: A Pinch Of Heartbreak.**_

"Operatives 1125 and 2693 in my office immediately, you have ninety seconds." A raspy voice hissed over the intercom. Two figures dodged through crowds of people before arriving at two oak doors. Without thinking twice, they pushed through the doors and stood in military formation.

"You called?" Mia said.

"Yes." The woman answered. "You have a mission. I want Cameron Morgan and Zachary Goode dead by nightfall."

"I apologize, but we can't take that mission." The man replied.

"And why not?" She snapped, and slammed her fist on the table.

"Because of the fact that we're related to them!" Mia shot back. "You made me shoot my own brother!"

"I killed the sister I shared a womb with and didn't batt an eyelash." The woman hissed. "You will do the same, and you will not hesitate."

We all arrived in the CIA basement, close to the Weapon Artillery. I strolled towards Anthony's desk, watching him duck underneath it.

"Before you talk, or hit me, I only told Wren for your safety!" He panicked.

"So you told him!"

"Shit, so you didn't know?" I looked to Zach as he stood with the others in Vehicular Assistance.

"Don't utter a word of this to the others." I let go of his collar unaware that I was holding it. I strided back to the others grabbing Zach's arm again.

"You guys can spend thirty minutes taking a tour while I wait for the medical practitioner." They all nodded and dispersed into the different nooks of the CIA. I helped Zach onto the soft couch in his office and started walking out.

"Cammie." He called. I spun on my feet in the doorway.

"What's this?" He practically yelled, shaking the piece of pink evapopaper. By my answer I guess you could say I was done being yelled at for the day.

"A note."

"This whole time I thought you were in the hospital."

"So what if I wasn't Zach! The only reason I left was to find out who the hell basically tried to kill you."

"I didn't ask you to do that. All I wanted was to see you first thing when I woke up in recovery."

"Oh, so when I'm being targeted you can risk your life, but when you're being targeted I sit and watch?"

"I'm not being targeted." He shook his head in denial. Like father, like son.

"Zach, think. She wasn't shooting at me, there was too much distance between us. You're being targeted." I said, the words slower this time.

"Well who did I piss off now?" He growled.

"I should be asking you that question." I rolled my eyes. "Anyways I followed my lead, he used to work with my dad, that's why his address was in the attic."

"What did he tell you?"

"He was a part of the circle, like my dad is now. He claims my dad is dead but I don't believe it." I muttered. I let my gaze drift towards the outside view, leaving my thoughts look at a dream before snapping back to reality. "I need to check on the others, they should be in my office." I started walking out, but even with a cane Zach can beat me to the door.

"You aren't going anywhere." He ordered.

"And why not?" I shot back.

"Because I won't let you."

"I think I can handle myself." I snapped.

"I didn't say that you can't." He replied, but he was still blocking my way.

"I can't do this anymore." I sighed.

"What do you mean by that?"

"This. I can't have you defending me and getting hurt every step of the way." I ran my fingers down to his stitches.

"Gallagher girl, we can talk this out or we can spar like when we were in school."

"Yeah, because I'm gonna spar with a guy full of stitches." I rolled my eyes. "Please, I need time-" I begged.

"Gallagher girl that's crazy talk, and you know it." He whispered. His eyes were bloodshot but he didn't let it show. He brushed his thumb against my cheek and dragged it down to my chin. I walked back to behind his desk and sat on the edge.

"Who's Mia?"

"What?"

"Is that some kind of code for something?"

"I still don't get it."

"Zach, I have been trying every code for your computer since I got back from Rome, only Mia27 worked."

"It's just random." He shrugged.

"Really? Zach I'm not dumb."

"It's nothing important."

"Zach, it's a girl's name as your computer password!"

"Who said it was a girl's name, maybe it stands for something."

"You're lying."

"Even if I was, you're not the only girl who's been in my life, just like I'm not the only boy who's been in yours." He seemed extremely calm about this, but I was still at unease.

"Zach, were you with someone when I was in Rome?"

"That's not what Mia is."

"Then what is she?" I testified.

"I'd rather not talk about it." He put his head into his hands.

"Fine, be that way." I started out, my feet pounding against the floor. He tried to stop me once again in the doorway. "Zach, I need to go. Just let me leave peacefully, it's best for both of us." I ended, and pushed past him and through the metal doors. I saw him hobble into the hallway, but I was already in the elevator, watching the doors close.

I know it's short! Don't worry these next few chapters will make up for it.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12: We'll Spar It Out.**_

My head hurt, but I couldn't let it show. I put on a face of fake confidence and walked to my desk.

"Have Baxter, McHenry, Sutton, and company come into my office." I said. It took exactly three minutes for all of them to get in my office, but I was not prepared for what I saw. Bex had frizzy hair (which I'm petty sure that's where the burning smell in the hall came from) and Macey's makeup was smudged as if she was playing in the rain. Grant and Jonas both had pit stains, a slightly red bruise forming on Jonas' arm. Liz, worst of all, was covered head to toe in a smelly blue substance.

"If they had a take-your-friends-to-work day, you guys wouldn't make it past security." I laughed, but not because it was funny.

"You said we'd handle things like Gallagher Girls, no better time than the present."

"Alright, lets handle it like we did in high school. It's been a while since I've had a good spar." I grabbed my sparring clothes from the bag behind my desk, looking at them as they stared in shock. "You coming?" I exited, listening to the footsteps behind me. We arrived at the sparring quarters. There were multiple sections, each of them a padded room for two. I showed the guard my card and he handed me another keycard. I pulled Bex's hand to 10B, and handed her gear.

"You guys can watch from the outside, but whatever happens, you can't enter. We leave when someone pushes that button, signaling defeat." The all nodded in approval. I closed the doors hearing the clicks and whirs of the locks.

"Okay, start."

"I am mad at you," she kicked me in the side. "Because once again-" she lifted her foot to kick me but I grabbed her and pinned her to the ground. "You ran away." She finished, twisting herself out of my hold.

"I am mad at you-" I roundhouse kicked her. "Because you drugged me-" I threw a punch at her but she dodged it and pinned me against the wall. "At a time when I needed to be strong." I pulled out of her hold.

"I only did that for your own good!" She shouted, each word paired with a kick or a punch, some of them I dodged, some I wasn't so lucky.

"How does being weak help me!" I shot back.

"It's better than you being crazy! I've been there! I've watched what happens when your mind pushes itself too hard." She shouted, punching at my chest. "I refuse to see it happen again."

"I would've been able to handle myself." I whispered. I then took her arm behind her and pinned it to her back.

"You know, you said that in high school." She huffed, catching her breath. "Then you tried to jump off a building." She turned her arm out of my hold before returning the roundhouse kick I gave her earlier.

"I was hypnotized!" I shifted her weight slamming her onto the padded floor.

"Exactly! You wander and get hurt! You don't even know your own destructive cycle!" She pulled my arm and swung me at the wall. I rubbed my jaw.

"You're right, okay! And I'm sorry." My voice softened. I started to approach the big red button of defeat, but she beat me to it and the doors opened.

"Listen, I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you, and choked you, and formed that little scar on your jawline." She draped her arm on my shoulder. I grabbed my aching side and we hobbled out together.

"You couldn't be like normal girls and just talk it out?" Grant huffed from behind Macey and Jonas.

"Were not normal girls, were Gallagher Girls." I smiled. Bex and I dragged each other back to my office hand in hand.

I walked around behind my desk ravaging through the drawers.

"Liz, can you analyze the blood on this for me?" I pulled out an evidence bag. "I need a name and face."

"How is she gonna analyze blood from a leaf?" Macey asked. Liz pulled out a jar of purple liquid and shook it.

"I was developing this a couple weeks ago, it's able to pull footprints and random particles from hard surfaces, by making a rubber form of it."

"And why didn't I know about this?" Jonas chimed.

"Because I suggested you work in the same field as me and you said no." She gave him a fake smile. She poured the purple liquid onto the leaf, pulling a hardened thin rubber layer off of it. She scanned it into the computer and her fingers started sliding over the keys.

"There are three results. A girl from Algeria, another one in Washington, and a girl who is presumed dead."

"Can you filter the results?"

"That's what the system is trying to do now." Exactly 61.8 seconds later Liz turned completely pale. Macey walk over to her computer screen and stared at it in shock. She took one hand and covered her mouth.

"What is it?" I eased towards the screen.

"You might not want to look at this." Macey muttered.

"Why not?" I asked defensively.

"You definitely won't like the results." Liz added. Bex immediately jumped in front of me and looked at the screen.

"Grant, hold her back." Bex whispered. I felt Grant's arms grab mine, putting me into a hold that I could swear they banned because of me.

"Let me go!" I yelled.

"Sorry, I'm following orders." I lifted my foot and kicked Grant in, well, it's best if you don't know where I kicked him. I watched him bend over in pain before pulling on my leg and dragging me to the floor. I punched him with all my might watching him stumble around, before pulling myself up and running to the screen. I looked at the words, almost as if a thousand memories came rushing back to me all at once. I stormed out of the room and into Zach's office. The metal doors opened and I flew in, grabbing Zach by the collar.

"When were you going to tell me!" I shouted in his face.

"Tell you what?" In that instant Grant ran in and pulled me off of Zach. Grant held me in a tight grip by the waist as I kicked and clawed at his arm.

"All this time you lied to me! Nothing you told me was true!"

"What the hell is she talking about?" He asked, pointing to Bex in the doorway.

"You have a sister! You lied to me about it this whole time, and I want to know why!"


	13. Chapter 13

_**Chapter 14: Lies and Deception.**_

"I don't have a-"

"Stop lying, or I'll put you on truth serum." I snapped.

"But I don't have a-"

"Liz, go downstairs to Anthony and tell him I need serum 467." Liz ran down and came back as quickly as she could. She placed the serum in my hand.

"I have a needle in my hand, you definitely don't want to see what I'll do to you with it."

"I. Don't. Have. A-" I jammed it into his arm and swiftly pulled it out, tracing the spot with the tip of the needle.

"You'll tell the truth now." He glared at me in anger. I watched as a flame lit up in his eyes.

"Name?"

"Zachary Goode."

"Clearance level?"

"Seven." Zach always lied about his clearance level, so we were ready to go.

"Zach, do you have a sister?"

"I had a sister."

"Her name?"

"Mia Andrea Goode."

"Status?"

"Dead, but I'm assuming you knew this already."

"I did. Tell me, can dead people shoot at you from hell?"

"No."

"Then how is she the last result from the evidence I gathered at the scene of your shooting? The only conclusion I'm left to make is that she isn't dead."

"Her body was found in the rubble of the fire."

"Your mother was a lunatic sociopath, I wouldn't be surprised if the fire was staged."

"I don't appreciate your tone." He huffed.

"I. Don't. Care." I stood up and dusted myself off. "Go grab whatever you need from downstairs, and meet me in whatever vehicle they say I selected." Bex gave me a complicated look.

"Cam, you don't think it's a little early to be going on a mission, I mean Zach just got back from-"

"If Zach couldn't handle it, he wouldn't have said yes." I said, cutting Bex off.

"Guys, you stay with Zach here while we go to Cam's office. We'll call when we're ready." They directed me out of the room and into my office. I slouched down in my chair.

"Cam-" she knelt down and pulled my shoulders so I was facing her. "What happened?"

"Nothing." I whispered, turning around.

"You can either tell me what happened, or I can pull out some serum 460-whatever and jam it into your arm." She warned, and I'd learned my lesson from last time.

"I'm just questioning my relationship, okay!" I yelled. "I don't understand what happened between Zach and I, I just know that things aren't the same and I don't like it." Macey came and pulled me into a hug. She gently stroked my hair and wiped my cheek. I was crying and I didn't even know it.

"Come on, we have a mission. There's no room for tears on it."

"Where are they gonna be?" Mia asked.

"Subway in Manhattan. 2:00 p.m." A voice replied.

"Gear up and get inside." She said. A few moments later she came out with a watch, a novelty necklace, and a comms. "What are you waiting for? Putt them in." Mia ordered.

"I-I can't go in there. I'll stay in the car, please just make it swift and painless." He muttered.

"Don't wimp out on me now. You spent all these years waiting for this moment." She sighed.

"I spent all those years waiting for the day I would get to see her as a free man, not a person sent to kill her."

"Oh, so you think I want to kill my brother?" She scoffed. "I'm only gonna tell you to get off your ass once."


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter 15: I Got Daddy Issues.**_

Manhattan Subway: 13:59 hours: October 5th

Did I mention that there was a deadly killer in the subway at the moment? Did I mention that when I got back to the CIA they put me on the mission to find that killer? No? I guess I forgot...

Time was moving fast. Bex had positioned herself in a corner, scrolling on her phone and laughing. Macey was arm in arm with Liz (yeah Liz didn't wanna stay in the van today) both of them just came from a popcorn vendor in the back. Grant and Jonas sat on a crowded bench, watching some football game. Lastly, Zach was on his feet (with help from some very strong medicine from Anthony). He was making a call, until a very _nice_ lady approached him. I turned away, trying not to listen in.

"I'm so sorry!" A light haired, green eyed lady said as she stumbled in front of me. "I'm such a klutz." She giggled. She had a muscular built and a couple scars on her arm. No way she was a normal girl.

"No problem." I said flashing her a smile. I sent a signal to everyone. We found who we were looking for. I darted across the subway and ran into a dark area, that branched off somewhere else.

"Chameleon, do not go in until you have backup."

"Asshat, I can handle myself." I snapped and jumped the barrier.

"Who's code name is asshat?" Liz asked.

"He knows himself." Bex replied. I heard Zach let out a heavy sigh over comms.

"I have eyes on the target. She's following just as you thought." Macey said.

"Stay behind her. Signal me if anything." I whispered.

"She's not even checking her tail." I heard Mia whisper into her comms. You say she has level 9 clearance? CIA is flunking." Hearing this I should've laughed, because I actually had checked my tail 8 times. I reached the end of the alleyway and backed myself into a corner. A dark figure approached me, but it wasn't Mia. His body was definitely masculine and he had a strong build. He had a good 75 pounds on me. And I, unfortunately, was in a corner. I watched him get closer, until I had him in my reach and then I lunged at him. Without thinking I roundhouse kicked him in his chest and watched him stumble to the ground. He wasn't fighting back. I threw a few punches before carefully analyzing him. He had a tracker, comms, and a camera. I pulled off the tracker in his watch and smashed it, and his comms quickly followed. I then put all my energy into my hands as I punched at the camera, watching the pieces stumble to the ground.

"How did you know?" He groaned, grasping his side. He was bent over and out of breath, like someone who hasn't been on the field in a long time.

"Level nine clearance." I smirked. A few moments after Mia rushed to his side. She pushed her brown hair to the side and looked at me. She had Catherine's eyes, but she didn't have Townsend's hair. She was nothing like Townsend. Macey showed up behind me with a flashlight in her hand and shined the white light on both figures.

"You're the killer whose trying to kill me and Zach?"

"Camster, I swear it isn't like that-"

"What else am I supposed to expect from a man who ran away from his family to join the circle!" I threw my hands in the air. "They told me this was a bad idea, but I went through with it, for this!"

"I'm not here to kill you!" He shot back.

"You sent her after us, you tried to have me drugged at that lead in Cincinnati, hell, maybe you're the one who made me forget my whole damn summer! Maybe you're the man who was shooting at us in the woods behind Joe's cabin, maybe you are the one who stole the journals from me, maybe everything I've endured since you disappeared is actually your fault!" I shouted, my voice threatening to give up on me. I turned around to see Liz speeding towards me, and a figure jumping to push me out of the way. I coughed out the dust and rubble that swirled around me. The figure rolled off of me.

"Oopsy daisy." She yelled through the window.

"You didn't have to push me out of the way." I muttered.

"I'm your dad, I wasn't gonna let you get hit by the car either."

"You didn't seem to care what happened to me all these years, why care now?"

"I do care, and if you'd let me breathe long enough, I'd explain."

"Get in the car." I ordered. My dad hopped in willingly, leaving Mia outside. "You too, get in." I ordered again, but she still stood there in refusal. I walked over to her seemingly innocent before pulling her arm into a very uncomfortable position, the less details the better. She winced in pain before I dragged her into the back of the car. Zach hopped through the doors and pulled me aside.

"We can't interrogate them at headquarters, they'll ask too many questions." Zach whispered.

"I already thought of that." I hissed. "Liz knows where to go."

"Cam, you don't have to be like this." He snapped.

"Like what?"

"This. You pushing everyone that matters out of your life."

"I would appreciate it if you stopped questioning my decisions and butt out." I pushed past him and into the van.

"Bad move operatives." The woman clicked her tongue.

"What is your next move?"

"Anth, it's time to show them what happens to operatives who disobey my orders."

Bad guy gone mad! Will the interrogation bring hope? Or is it all a lost cause? Keep reading ;)


	15. Chapter 15

_**Chapter 16: Time to Come Clean.**_

We sat down at the grand table in a mansion in the middle of Timbuktu, I think. Nah, it probably wasn't Timbuktu. String lights hung from the ceiling. Gold curtains draped from the window. It was beautiful. It was classy. It was Macey.

"If someone told me this was a safe house, I wouldn't believe it." Zach mumbled.

"Private property, discreet and disclosed location, what's not to believe?" She smiled.

"The fact that it's triple the size of my house in London." Bex rolled her eyes.

"You asked for a place that was sure to have no bugs, and that no one would know about. I didn't know about this place until a month ago. It's as safe as safe gets."

"Lets start the interrogation." I said ending the subject. "Liz, pass me a syringe of truth serum and a pair of gloves."

"Afraid we're not gonna tell the truth?" Mia cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm more afraid that you've been hypnotized not to."

"How did you know about that?" My dad asked.

"There was a girl who worked for your boss. When we tried to interrogate her, she kept rambling about the last one standing."

"We know not who he is, only that he is the last one standing." They rambled on and on in unison.

"It's a lost cause." I shook my head. "We did all of that in vain!" I banged my fists on the table causing everything to shake. Zach pulled me aside.

"Cammie, calm down." He soothed.

"This whole mission is a downward spiral, and I'm stuck in the middle of it."

"Hey." He brushed his thumb on my cheek. "We don't know who sent them, but we can still try and figure it out." He pulled me into a hug and rubbed small circles on my back. It felt good to be in his arms, but then I remembered, what went down between us, and the way I acted towards him. I didn't deserve him comforting me. I pulled away and dusted myself off.

"Lets go try again." I mumbled unable to face him. I walked back to the table and took my seat next to Liz.

"Start recording please." I said. "First off, let's start with your full names."

"Matthew Andrew Morgan."

"Mia Andrea Goode."

"Agent Morgan, what was your mission when you joined the circle?"

"Infiltrate from the interior, eliminate the leaders."

"And you, Agent Goode?"

"Find and eliminate Agent Catherine Goode."

"You were presumed dead. A body identified as yours was found in the rubble. Would you care to explain?" I clicked my pen.

"Catherine staged a fire with another little girl to die in it. She hid me for years until I was old enough to join the circle."

"Amp up the dosage for Agent Morgan." I looked to Liz. She gave me a thumbs up. "Agent Morgan, were you sent to kill me?"

"Yes."

"Did you intend on killing me?" He took a pause.

"I'm not sure."

"Why is that?"

"I always thought that if you died, the circle would give up. I wouldn't have to constantly worry whether you were gonna see the next day. I also hoped that there was a chance of me being a free man one day, and us being able to be together again." I looked down to my hands, as they shook uncontrollably.

"Did you know anything about what happened to me that summer?" He looked down at his hands in shame.

"Yes."

"What did you know?"

"I was there. I helped you get out of that cabin and that's when you made it into the woods. You must've gotten to those nuns on your own."

"Did you know anything about them torturing me, or my memory loss?"

"I knew about the memory loss."

"How?"

"Because I was the reason they erased it."

"Why?"

"I got sloppy. Catherine let me see you as long as I wasn't there long, and in exchange I did whatever she ordered me to. I thought you were unconscious, so I fell asleep on the bed. I woke up to you screaming and Dr. Steve frantically trying to hypnotize you."

"What about Rome? Can you tell me anything about you, me, and Rome?"

"I saved you one night."

"From?"

"There were some circle members following you. You were extremely drunk, I'm guessing you didn't see them tailing you, so I killed them and took you to Derek."

"Who is Derek?" Zach chimed from the background.

"María's brother."

"Why would he take you there?"

"Don't worry about it." I muttered back.

"Too late." He got closer. "Agent Morgan, why did you take her to María's brother instead of María?"

"Because, at the time, Derek and Cammie were involved romantically." I saw Zach look at me, but I was unable to read the look on his face.

"It's not like that-"

"Seriously Cammie? You think I'm gonna believe you over a guy on two doses of truth serum?" Zach stormed out of the room. Despite all the aching urges in my body, I would have to talk to him later. I continued the interrogation.

"Can you tell me the location of recent Circle headquarters?"

"No." They said in unison.

"Can you tell me who sent you on this mission?" I pressed for answer.

"No." The replied again. I pushed myself out of my chair.

"Can you tell me what type of chocolate is on your face?"

"Milk chocolate." He replied.

"From which country?"

"Sweden."


	16. Chapter 16

_**Chapter 17: When in Elevators.**_

It felt like forever walking through the airport. Everyone paired up, leaving me with Zach. The tension rose, mostly because I still had a lot of explaining to do.

"So, I should probably tell you about me and Derek." I placed my luggage on the belt, watching it slide into the scanners.

"There's nothing to talk about." He started to take off his shoes.

"Yes there is, I should've told you sooner." I pulled the light jacket I had off.

"Cammie, the thing is, I get it." He turned to face me. "We argued and went our separate ways, you found a guy who made you feel important, I get it."

"But you don't." I walked through the scanner.

"What is there left to understand?" He walked through the scanner meeting me on the other end. There was another teenage girl who was drooling at Zach from the other lane. I gave her a look but she continued. What she didn't know was I could kill her with the fuzzy toy on her backpack. We continued our hasty looks, both of us shooting daggers at each other.

"Cammie?"

"Little girl, keep looking and I'll scratch your eyeballs right out of-"

"Cam-" He warned. I felt my cheeks turning a gentle shade of red.

"Yeah." I rubbed my forehead. "Derek was my mission. I was supposed to kill him, which is why if you look up his profile he is presumed dead."

"Why did you spare him then?" Zach picked up my bag and his, placing them down.

"His sister. I didn't want to take away the one thing María still cared about."

"You sure it wasn't because of your feelings for him?"

"I'm sure there was that too, but those feelings died when I came back." We walked into the elevator, my suitcase lagging behind, where I pulled him into a deep kiss. My hands drifted to the buttons on his shirt, gently tugging at them. He pulled his hand through my hair, pulling my jacket off. His kisses started to make their way down my neck and to my collar bone, and I felt his hands slide up the cropped hoodie I was wearing. We slowly melted into each other, our bodies doing the talking and arguing we couldn't handle. My hands moved down from his shirt to his pants zipper. Then the elevator doors open, the steamy moment over as we turned to see a family of four staring at us, the kids giggling behind their glaring parents. We quickly gathered ourselves and rushed to the gates.

"Joe, I need your CoveOps lesson plan on my desk before this afternoon."

"Gotcha. And I need for you to tell the sophomores they will be going to Roseville-" he started, but a hand was over his mouth. Joe looked to my mom, who had the barrel of a gun pointed at her head.

"Rachel, Joseph. Don't move and don't scream."

I sat in between Zach and my dad on the jet. That shouldn't be awkward, right? Wrong, wrong on so many levels, especially with what just went down in the elevator.

"So, how do you know Catherine Goode's son?"

"We're partners." We replied in unison.

"And that's all?" He pressed.

"Yep." Zach popped the p.

"You're both lying." He crossed his arms. I felt Zach tense up next to me. "There was some type of chemistry between you two, and it wasn't just a friendship." I heard Mia chuckle from the behind me.

"Spy instincts?" I asked.

"I prefer dad instincts." I looked at him and laughed, then looked to the window.

"Edward, we have a mission." Abby hummed.

"I have a car ready, just waiting for approval." He said without a glance.

"I haven't heard from Rachel in a while." She said. "Maybe later I'll try the dead drop-" she started, but there was a knock at the door.

"Come in." Townsend yelled.

"Your car has been approved." A tall man said as he approached Townsend. He walked until only three feet separated them. He was close. Too close. Moments later he pulled Townsend to the ground and directed his gun at Abby. Abby tried to run for the door but another man was waiting for her. He grabbed her as she struggled, but then he jammed a clear liquid into her arm putting her to sleep.

I'm so sorry I took this long! It's been a really stressful couple of weeks for me, but I've still been writing. I hope this update of chapters will help (note: the numbering is mixed up, example: this chapter is technically 16, but in the chapter it says 17) I'll be uploading the rest soon, so surprised that all of this is about to end... or is it? People are going missing! Who's behind it all? And will they be able to stop it in time?


	17. Chapter 17

_**Chapter 18: A Double Kidnapping.**_

We landed in Sweden, the jet taking us about a mile from the safe house. That whole mile we walked, so when we arrived we could barely stand. I put my dad and Mia in one of the rooms upstairs, and headed back to the living room.

"Who was in charge of food?" I plopped on the couch. My stomach growled, but I felt like I was the only one who heard it.

"I think it was Jonas." Liz said. We all turned to him.

"I forgot."

"You're trying to tell me that you didn't bring food?" Macey snapped. Jonas nodded.

"Eat him."

"What? No!" Liz exclaimed.

"He was in charge of food, I see no food, I eat the person in charge." Bex shrugged.

"I agree." Zach added.

"Doesn't sound like a bad idea." Macey chimed.

"Okay, I brought the food! Green suitcase." He whispered.

"That's what I thought." Bex muttered. She walked over to the suitcase hauling random items out of it and slamming them into even more random places. She managed to come out with a meal that looked like it had five stars. I walked upstairs in the much smaller safe house to give my "prisoners" food, which believe me was a lot more fun than you think.

"Here's your food, choke on it." I mocked.

"Salmon, sautéd green beans, a bread roll, and a glass of red wine. You monster!" Mia mocked back.

"Desert comes in a few minutes." I yelled as I walked out.

"If it has chocolate, we don't want it." My dad yelled back. I honestly felt bad for doubting my dad's intentions in the first place. I ran downstairs and grabbed two pieces of Lava cake, each with a ring of strawberry slices around them. I started upstairs and opened the door a crack, sliding both plates inside.

"Ew." They both started fake puking noises. I laughed and continued downstairs.

"So who has first shift?"

"Bex and Grant."

"Cool, I'm gonna shower and change, call me when it's my shift." I went down the hall and into the bedroom. I thought I was alone, but who am I kidding, I'm never alone.

"Alone at last." Zach whispered, pulling me to him from behind the door. He left no space between us, our chests pressing against the others.

"You sound like an axe murderer." He let out a laugh.

"What is it?" He chuckled. "Afraid of axe murderers like me?"

"Not ones like you, they don't do anything." I pulled myself out of his hold and headed for the bathroom.

"So when are we gonna finish what happened in the elevator?" He smirked. I stopped in my tracks and turned to face him.

"I fell in love with a dumbass." I rolled my eyes.

"Woah, that hurt." He put his hand on his heart. "I wouldn't say that again if I were you."

"I fell in love with-" He stopped me halfway and pulled me in, his lips making contact with mine. We stayed there for a little, until he pushed me up to the wall. I felt him tugging on my shirt, so that's why moments later it was across the room, along with the many articles of clothing that made their way over there. He moved me from the wall onto the bed, his kisses making their way further down. I pulled my hands through his hair, crossing them behind his neck and crossing my legs over his torso. I feel like I can't describe what happened next, I mean, spies live on a need-to-know basis, right? If you're reading this, you're most likely a spy, so here's what you need to know. We. Had. Sex. And it was Goode...

"Gallagher Girl, are you sleeping?" He whispered. I turned my head to face him.

"No Zach, I'm not." I smiled. He pulled me into his arms and started playing with my hair.

"You know I love you, right?" He asked.

"You know I love you too, right." I said. He nodded.

"You still think you fell in love with a dumbass?" He smirked.

"Yeah, kinda." I teased. He held me tight, his breathing in sync with mine. They say you don't know what you're losing until you lose it. I feel like I always know the instant before it becomes lost. I always end up about to lose Zach, but I always fix things in the nick of time. I felt the rising and falling of his chest against my back, his breath warm on my neck, and for once I felt sure. I was never sure of anything, but in his arms there was this net telling me I could trust him, that if I fall I won't die. I enjoyed the moment for a while, until I heard Zach let out a gentle snore. He was asleep. I slipped out of his grasp and took a quick shower, like I initially planned, and changed into some leggings and a loose white tee. I pulled my wet hair into a slick high ponytail and headed downstairs.

"About time." Grant sighed making his way up. Bex pulled me to her.

"So, what happened upstairs?"

"Really Bex?" I rolled my eyes.

"I'm just asking a question." She shrugged. "By the way, I heard just about everything."

"You nosy little-" I never ended that sentence and instead took a seat and started my shift. It was calm for the most part, the sounds of nature taking me over. I heard a faint beeping from time to time, but I didn't see it as a threat. There were about 14 ways a person could get into the safe house, and that's including the roof. Maybe that's why I heard the shriek. I took the stairs two by two, checking each room for anything abnormal.

"What is it?" Macey whispered.

"There's an intruder, code E." I whispered brushing past her. I heard her and Liz scurry downstairs as rushed into the room where we were keeping my dad and Mia. The door was locked at first, a couple of objects blocking it. I sensed Zach, Bex, and Grant creep up behind me. Bex knocked the lock off of the door and we all pushed the objects out of place. I arrived in the room to see both of my "prisoners" being held at gunpoint. I put my hand onto the gun by my side. I knew that Liz and Macey were getting the car ready. The evacuation plan was in place.

"Come with me, and I wont shoot." He eased.

"What do we care if you do shoot?" I threw my hands in the air. "More importantly, what would your boss say if you shoot?" I cocked a hip.

"These two already have death sentences on their heads." He cackled. "And we both know you care if I shoot, Cameron Ann Morgan."

"Anth Michelangelo Benoist-Rivers, married with an adorable baby girl. Annabelle, I think." I shot back. "Look at her sleeping so soundly in the baby monitor. It would be a shame to send someone in there." I clicked my tongue. He dropped his gun to the floor, and ran his hands through his hair. That, is when the whole world went black. I felt a strong pair of arms grab me at my waist. I felt for my gun and shot someone in the leg, very unsure of who it was. I kicked and screamed and struggled to get free, but his grip was air tight. I heard kicking and punching and grunting from all angles, but eventually it was silenced. From my comms, all I heard was static, meaning someone had managed to Liz, Macey, and Jonas. Then I felt a blow to my head with the butt of a gun. As I started drifting, the figure said these four words to me.

"Never threaten my daughter."


	18. Chapter 18

_**Chapter 19: Payback Is A Bitch.**_

It was dark. I twisted and turned but wet ropes clung to me, a drug seeping into my skin. The worst punishment, waking up and sleeping constantly. In a spell of consciousness I shout for help but no one hears me. In the next spell I struggle alone with no one to help me. In the last spell she comes back. I kick her away and she gives me a sickening smile as she lay on her side on the floor.

"The mind replays what the heart can't delete, doesn't it Cameron?" She crossed her legs.

"Stay away from me Catherine. Just leave me alone!"

"Don't you see? I can't leave you alone, because deep down there's a part of me in you."

"I'll never be like you." I whispered through gritted teeth.

"You already are. There is that fire in you. The one that wants to hurt people, the one that makes you push away everyone you love, one day you'll face that fact." She took a breath. "You know, I think that's why my son likes you so much, you remind him of me, the good me, what I would've been if I hadn't joined the circle."

"Why did you do it?" I asked.

"Because I didn't like the good me-" She stood up and got closer, her hands twirling around my hair. "And that's why I don't like you."

"Catherine just stop. I'm begging you, leave me be." She walked back to her chair and sat, eyes locking with mine. I cleared my head and breathed. "You're supposed to be dead, okay? Dead memories don't come back."

"And tell me, do you think I'm a dead memory?" I saw her fading. Everything went away as quickly as it appeared. And I was stuck alone again. I let out a scream and I felt a splash of cold water on my face. I woke up in a room filled with bright fluorescent lights. The guard stood there staring at me. I looked around, my eyes still trying to adapt to my surroundings.

"Stop bitching would you? Some of us don't like hearing the screams of the people in this place." The guard walked out, leaving me to wonder when he planned on coming back.

The room was bare, there wasn't even a window or a place for me to use the bathroom, and the only thing in it was me, and I was tied to the chair. So as you can see, I was in a really unfortunate situation at that moment. Desperate matters call for desperate measures. I started stretching my legs before pulling them up to my head and biting at the rope. Once my legs were free, I walked to the door and scratched the rope on it until my hands were able to slip out. And then came the worst part, waiting. I can say I waited what felt like 36 hours before hearing a voice come close to the door.

"Do we bring her out now?" He asked. I assume the answer was yes because a few moments later he opened the door.

I jumped up to my feet and took a swing at his head. He grunted in pain pulling my arm and pushing me against the wall. I twisted his head hearing a satisfying crack sound before shifting his weight against him and running out. Even with that concussion I might have accidentally give him he still managed to grab me. He dragged me through the dark hallway into a room just like the one I was a second ago, but bigger. He set me down just for me to see all of my friends and family tied to chairs, with lots more bulky men holding guns to their heads.

"What do you do here, breed apes?" I stared in shock.

"I do that, and worse." A raspy voice mocked from above. I turned around to see a woman dressed head to toe in black. Her hair was black, she wore a black v-neck shirt, black tights, a black leather jacket, and really tall black boots. She was the epitome of what everyone thought when they hear spy. She was what every little girl dreams to be. Independent. Strong. Badass. Beautiful. The Boss. I looked at her as she stared at me with her cold, silver eyes. A small grin was plastered on her face as she said,

"Cameron Morgan, so glad you could finally join us."

"How do you know who I am?" I asked dumbfounded.

"Your sweet daddy right over there works for me. And the interface is a very useful place."

"What do you want from me?"

"To take each and every one of you out one by one, just like you did to us."

"Us?"

"You really don't remember?"

"Well, I was kidnapped and brainwashed for a whole summer, pardon me if my memory no longer chooses to retain information."

"And we were the reason why that happened." She said. I let that sentence click in my mind.

"Its not possible. She-we killed you." I stuttered. I backed up into the bulky figure behind me.

"You killed every descendant, but the descendant of the one who started it all." I stood there unable to believe what was right in front of me. Its not possible. There's no way it could be. I made sure I destroyed everything that followed me those two years. Except the one standing in front of me right now. The one who managed to make herself an exception. The last one standing.

"You're the last one standing."


	19. Chapter 19

_**Chapter 20: A Force Stronger Than Us.**_

"My name is Josephine Cavan, glad to be ruining the lives of people who make my job harder."

"Ioseph Cavan had no descendants. He died without a line." I murmured.

"They think he died without a line, but I am living proof that all of that is a lie." She cocked her hip. "You see, we kept the family name for centuries now, adapting it to modern times by saying Joseph for males, Josephine for females. We go under the radar, most of our births weren't in actual hospitals, our existence only known to those who matter."

"What do I have to do for you to let them go?"

"Well I want you dead, because wanting you dead is what got the other circle members killed." She swung her finger in the air, as if directing me to the answer to my questions.

"They didn't matter to you, otherwise you would've tried to stop it. The biggest, baddest group in the world yet you couldn't stop people from killing your own."

"You're right, I didn't care about most of them, I cared about Catherine."

"Catherine killed herself, and tried to kill everyone in that building."

"She was chasing after you. Chasing you is what reminded her of Gallagher, of the torture she endured there. You brought everything back, and she snapped."

"So you brought me here to kill me?"

"That's the thing. I told your sweet father over there to kill you, and he disobeyed orders." She clicked her tongue. "So you have to kill yourself in front of everyone you know and love." She clapped her hands together.

"What happens if I don't?" I said weighing my options.

"This room is rigged with enough explosives to bomb the entire city. Not only are you risking the lives of everyone in this room, you risk the life of everyone outside of it."

"I know you are going to kill them anyway."

"I am a lady of my word. You kill yourself, I let them free. Watching you die will be torture enough." She smirked, her gaze drifting to everyone in the room.

"Alright then." I said about to utter the three words I was most afraid of. "Ill do it." Tension filled the air as I saw everyone I know and love struggle to break free. Mom, Dad, Abby, Grant, Jonas, Townsend, Mia, Solomon, Macey, Bex, Liz, Zach. I wasn't about to put any of their lives on the line. Zach was first to manage getting the gag of his mouth.

"Cam, don't do it!" He screamed, the words stinging throughout my body.

"What choice do I have!" I shot back. "To let you and an entire city die right before my eyes?" I saw the spark disappear from his emerald eyes. For the first time we were stuck, and there wasn't a single way out. I saw tears streaming down my mothers face. I looked to my dad, who was still trying to get loose, still fighting to get out. Bex and Macey struggled by his side. Liz cried beside my mother.

"Last words? Goodbyes? Amp up the drama I only get to do this so often." Josephine sang.

"Guys, stop struggling, its pointless. I sighed, and watched them all sit still. "I'm gonna make this quick and tearless." I took a deep breath. "Townsend, you've been good to me, you trained me to be who I am now, and I will be forever grateful."

"I would never make you offer your own life for mine." He whispered.

"Its a good thing its not optional then." I muttered. "Aunt Abby, I'm very sorry for getting your boots burned in that incident in Guatemala. And I'm sorry for all the hard time I gave you when I was younger-"

"You never gave me a hard time." She choked.

"I just wanted you to know I'm sorry." I finished.

"I forgive you squirt. A hundred times over." She managed to say through her tears. I turned to the next person.

"Mom, I just want you to know how glad I am to have a mother as strong and independent as you. You played both the parental roles for so long, I just want to thank you-"

"Cam, no." She begged.

"I want to apologize for those years-"

"Kiddo, please." She sniffled. I stopped and turned to Mr. Solomon.

"Joe, thank you for being a father figure when my dad couldn't be there to do it. You were an amazing teacher and a mentor that was a vital part of my life. Please take care of both of them when I'm gone."

"Cameron, you're making a mistake." I ignored him and turned to my three roommates.

"Liz, Bex, Macey, don't spend your lives mourning me. I want you to go back and throw me a bomb ass funeral at Gallagher. No crying, and lots of alcohol, like we said our bachelorette parties would be."

"We said we were going to work together, have kids, watch them grow up together." Macey whimpered.

"And I hope that me being gone doesn't change that for you."

"I'm really gonna miss you Cam."

"And I'll miss you more Lizzie." I looked to Bex. She sat silent, defeated. For the first time Rebecca Grace Baxter wasn't in opposition. She nodded her head as a tear ran down her face. I willed myself to look at my dad.

"I spent all my life thinking you were dead, but I'm glad that I didn't lose hope."

"You can't die yet. I did all of this to protect you."

"And now I'm thanking you." I looked to Zach, who sat there with a look of disappointment on his face.

"Zach. I just want to remind you how much I love-"

"Gallagher girl, don't say it." He begged.

"I love you Zach. And if it was up to me, I would be able to grow old with you and have kids with you and spend all my life with you." I choked, the bittersweet words mixing with the salty tears. "You know when we first met I thought that you were unbearable, that we would be friends at most." I let out a gentle laugh. "If only I knew the impact you would come to have on me, if only I knew that the future me would be laughing in my past self's face." A tear rolled down my cheek, more of the salty drips forming on the brim of my eye, threatening to follow. His eyes were bloodshot, but they were fixated on me.

"Take care of yourself, Zach. I love you." I shifted my gaze to Grant fidgeting with his fingers in the back of the room.

"Grant, Jonas, you've guys have honestly been the best older brothers ever. Take care of them for me." Both of them nodded in approval. Finally, I turned to Mia, and I didn't really know what to say to her.

"I didn't know you that well, but my one wish is for you to have happiness. I want you and your brother, your only brother-"

"Well, he's not the only." Josephine chimed.

"What do you mean by that?" Mia hissed.

"Watch your tone." Josephine ordered. "Catherine really never told you?" Josephine asked in shock.

"Told me what?" Mia shot back.

"That doctor guy-"

"Wren." Mia filled in.

"Him. He's your fraternal twin."

"Excuse me?" Zach coughed.

"Same age, close weight, you both dyed your hair brown, you grew up together, your eyes? None of this ever clicked?" Josephine asked.

"That makes no sense. My mother-"

"Your mother gave him up because he was born with a birth defect. Now he's a doctor, makes sense. She put him on the porch of your neighbors house and left him there. I would know I was there when she made the decision." She gave everyone a look that ensured she wasn't lying before getting back to what's important. "We're off topic. Cammie, its time." She sang. The bulky figure behind me handed me a gun. I looked back over to Bex. She gave me a gentle smile that sent shivers up my spine.

"What type of bullets are these?" I asked.

"Bullets that separate into multiple pieces once fired. Haven't even hit the black market yet." Josephine said twirling the pen in her hand. There was no way I would be surviving this one. So I took my aim, and fired. I fell to the ground, the whole world spinning around me. And then the spinning stopped, and so did I.

So Cammie's dead. Vital part of this story gone bye bye. So I guess that's the end of Is He Dead? Just kidding. Since she's dead you need to see the aftermath, that is, if she's dead ;) maybe Is _**He**_ Dead will turn into Is _**She**_ Dead...

title change! plot twist! bam! bang! boom! Honestly I'm glad to be ending the story soon, especially because I feel like the story was kinda a bad idea (I still like it though)


	20. Chapter 20

_**Chapter 21: We Don't Always Make It.**_

I woke up in a haze. It felt like weights were tied to my head. My body was sore, extremely sore.

I looked around the completely white room. Was it heaven? I wasn't sure. It had monitors and a TV and even a couple white roses. I was hooked up to white machines, in a white gown, on top of a white bed. There was so much white it was overwhelming.

Do you think that god is a way to instill fear and keep calm in people? Do you think that when you die you get stuck in a transe recreating how it happened, and that there isn't really a heaven or hell?

I don't remember dying in a hospital. I don't remember dying at all.

I managed to pull myself up, but there was a sharp pain in my stomach. I pulled up the white paper gown to reveal a bundle of stitches. When did I get stitches? I looked at the band on my wrist. It read.

Cameron Ann Morgan

Admitted on 10/29/17

Admitted to what? Then flashes of what happened appeared in my mind. There's no way I survived. No one else could've been there to help me.

Its like Hamilton said "I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory." I can't tell the difference anymore.

I hear a beeping surrounding me, threatening to swallow me whole. I look around until the lights are too bright and I have to close my eyes. I listen in until the silence is unbearable and I have to cover my ears. I think about what could possibly be going on until my head hurts more and starts throbbing.

I become stuck in a never ending state of asking myself questions and not getting answers. I feel the wind cold against my skin, but none of the windows were open. All of the hairs on my arm stood up and beads of sweat ran down my forehead. I couldn't tell the difference between hot and cold. I didn't know what separated light and dark. I wasn't sure about things being my dreams or my reality.

"Hey, kiddo." My mom said through red eyes. I was looking at my mom. Did she die too?

"Mom."

"How are you feeling?" She asked. How was I feeling? I kinda just hurt everywhere.

"I'm better, thank you." I don't know what led to me answering like that, I mean, we're both dead right?

"That's good." She gave me a gentle smile. I braced for impact. For once I was going to ask the question instead of expecting it to be answered.

"Mom, am I really dead?"

"No kiddo, you pulled through." She started to tear up. I had made it? This really was a hospital room with real monitors and everything? Reminder, express your hatred for hospitals to your boss.

"How?"

"Bex. She remembered Wren and she used her ring to send him a message."

I stared around the room. I had made it. For some reason there was a supernatural force around me that wouldn't let me die. It's as if the universe wasn't done with me yet. I calm my thoughts and appreciate the fact that it's over, for now.

"Rachel, is she okay?" He gently opened the door.

He was treading on eggshells. He knew that most likely my mom wasn't too happy seeing him, not for the sake of his time with the circle, but because of her relationship with Solomon.

"Matthew, you can come in." He eased over and grabbed my hand, touching it to his head.

"Camster you don't understand how glad I am that your alive-"

"I know dad."

"No you don't. I thought I was going to lose you forever, that I did everything for nothing. You will never understand how glad I am for both of you to wake up every morning, even if it may be to the thought of you hating me." He turned his head to my mother, a somber look in his eyes.

"I don't hate you, Matt." She looked just as guilty as him.

"I know you don't."

"Are you saying this because of Solomon?"

"No, definitely not. I knew that being gone I risked every relationship I ever had, including our marriage. I'm glad that you ended up with a man that I know will treat you well, and if he doesn't, Cammie and I will be glad to punch a permanent hole in his face." I smiled internally at the thought, my dad bringing my mom into his arms.

Solomon was next to burst in.

"Cameron? Rachel?" He barely entered the door before exclaiming. He came and managed to grab both of us in his arms.

"Joe, you're trying to break her before she heals?" My mom croaked, the hug squeezing all the energy out of her.

"It might just be the last time I get to do so." He pulled away smiling. He made his way to my dad, both of them hand in hand, and it seemed like in that one movement they settled everything.

Next came 3 Gallagher girls, my sisters actually, all dressed in black, not for the funerals, but really ugly-black-crying-chick-flick pajamas.

"Started mourning already?" I teased.

"It was much funnier when your heartbeat almost stopped." Macey said through gritted teeth before pulling me into a spy's most dangerous hold, a hug.

Seriously, hugs will be the death of me.

Liz also walked over, looking slightly more delicate than the others, and placed her sweaty palms on my forehead.

"You need anything? Ice? Water? Food? A book? Literally anything?" She frantically rambled, wringing her hands together.

"Lizzie, I'm fine."

"Okay, I'll get you water." She squeezed my hand before leaving the room, her eyes tearing up. My eyes drifted to Bex.

"You saved my ass."

"Well, if not me then who else?" She smiled putting my hand in hers. After everything I felt like I could've stayed like that, but we all knew it wouldn't last long.

Moments later 6 men in black suits stomped through the door.

"Don't disturb her! She can't be interrogated in her state!" Zach shouted as he burst through the door.

Zach. It was the first time I've seen him since... well, everything.

"The Director wants her debriefed immediately. I'm going to need the rest of you agents to evacuate the room please, director's orders." The man in front said unfazed. He stood with his arms crossed, and since he was dramatically bigger than Zach, there was no point in him putting up a fight. I watched as everyone that burst through the doors minutes ago silently made their way out.

"De'Ante, listen. She can't do it. They made her shoot herself for god's sake!"

"Zach if it were up to me I wouldn't make her, I'm married and have kids, I know how it feels. I can't disobey, these are orders." Zach turned to me. He walked over and grabbed my arm.

"You don't have to do it. I can talk to-" I silenced him with a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"I love you." I whispered.

"I love you too." He turned back to the agents. "Take it easy on her." He gave them a look, then retreated to the corner of the room. The agent began setting up on the bedside table besides me, and when he was given his signal he began.

"Agent Morgan, what was your mission?"

"To retrieve hostages Morgan and Goode."

"Both hostages were assumed dead, what led you to know they were alive?"

"It was a gut feeling." I said monotone. For a person who just shot herself and thought she died, I still knew how act when interrogated.

"And so for an unassigned mission, you took CIA materials and cars, allowing yourself into multiple CIA issued safe houses? And your only evidence that they were alive is a 'gut feeling'?"

"With my clearance level, I believe it's allowed." I shot him a look.

"Let's move on to the mission then. What happened for Agent Goode to get shot?"

"We were on the balcony of an apartment, across from the lead we were tailing, and a shooter came out of the dark. The shooter was a couple meters away."

"So you take full account for this event?"

"That's not fair! You can't blame her for me getting shot." Zach snapped.

"It's a question Agent Goode. Yes or no, Agent Morgan?" I heard a faint beeping.

"Yes." I mumbled. "I have a question for you myself." The agent reclined in his chair.

"Ask away."

"Have you captured Josephine?"

"Were still looking for her. Somehow she managed to escape."

"If you were doing your job, she would be in custody." I snapped.

"Don't mention people who aren't doing their job. You knew the risks of the other agents lives when you took this mission, and yet you still continued through?" He pressed. I heard the beeping get louder.

"Yes." I mumbled again.

"These were your friends and family, and you put all of them at risk! Their lives were in you hands and you threw them to the wind!"

"She shot herself for us! De'Ante what are you trying to do?" Zach shouted stepping in front of him.

"I'm sorry Zach but it's true." He pushed Zach out of the way, his eyes locking with mine. "They only ended up in this situation because of you." He clicked his pen and draped it onto his shirt. "I'll have your office cleared out immediately." He was right. It was my fault that everyone I love ended up in that room with Josephine.

I could've been like my mom, occasionally crying about my dad but moving on nonetheless. I could've let things go a lived a normal spy life with Zach, my best friends at my side when it mattered.

I got greedy and pushed farther than I should've. And it was costing my friends and family everything.

I heard the beeping get louder and faster. Sweat ran down my face and my hands got clammy as Wren burst through the door.

"She's not supposed to endure extreme levels of stress!" He yelled. "Get me a nurse!" He ran to me. "Lay down, breathe." He urged. My eyelids fluttered in front of him.

"Stay up, Cammie." Zach shook my shoulders.

Zach.

For some reason he was always here. Since we met he's felt the need to protect me. Zach couldn't let me go and live his life, instead he made me his life. I traumatized him and hurt him all these years, getting him into situations I guarantee he wouldn't have been in if he forgot about me and stayed at Blackthorne. I left for Rome. I left him and went for a whole summer. All I did was leave him, yet for some reason he was still here. All Zach does is stay. I mean, I understand why I said what I said next. Better a broken heart than heart ache.

"You were a fool for loving me, but I was the bigger fool for letting you." I muttered, the haze taking me over. I watched the darkness as it engulfed me inside. The light was too far away now. I sensed the shouting. I sensed the struggling. I sensed the tears falling on me. But my body nor my mind could respond.

"Wren, hurry up!" Macey shouted.

"I'm a doctor not The Flash!"

"She's drifting. If you don't-"

"Clear!" Wren interrupted the sentence by sending a jolt of electricity through my body.

He looked up at the monitor.

"Clear." He tried again. Still nothing.

"Come on Cam." He whispered. "Clear." He was met by silence.

"What does that mean?" Bex asked. "Try something else!"

"There's nothing I can do. Nurse write this down. Agent Morgan, time of death-" He looked down at his watch.

"Don't just declare her dead!" Zach yelled.

"Time of death, 11:27 A.M."

A harmony of sobs came from the room, my mother specifically belching. Her shouting became so much that Bex and Macey had to drag her out, Liz and the rest following behind, each of them holding their tears to themselves. The only one who couldn't bring himself to cry was Zach.

"She isn't dead, it's not possible." Zach paced around the foot of the bed.

"I wouldn't have said it if it weren't true."

"You know you're a shit brother?" Zach rolled his eyes.

"Look at the monitor! Her heartbeat stopped. I can't stop nature."

"I know I can't blame you." Zach ran his hands through his hair, slowly lowering himself into the chair. He took a couple deep breaths before staring into oblivion. "When she made it, I felt like I had another chance to make things right. But she's dead, for real this time." He choked on the words. "I should've protected her!" He banged his fists on the table next to me letting it slam into the wall. "I should've done anything but sit there and watch her point a gun at herself!" He slammed his hand on the wall. "I shouldn't have argued with her, I should've fought for her, I shouldn't have let those agents interrogate her!" He stood there out of breath, the vase dangling from the edge of the table, with each sudden movement it threatened to fall. When he calmed himself, he leaned over me.

"Cammie, I'm sorry for everything. I really am."

"Think about it this way, what would you do if she was alive right now?"

Wren was an insensitive little bitch.

He sat in silence, his head in his hands.

"I'd take her to the gazebo in Roseville. We'd have a picnic. I'd remind her of that Abrams boy." He chuckled softly. "Then when the sun got low, we'd go to our apartment, she would complain that the juice is finished, she'd make me watch Reign with her, and say that the forbidden couples are the best kind. And she would go into the bathroom to shower, and she'd come out with wet hair that smelled like coconut, yeah, her shampoo is called coconut paradise or something, she'd find me-" He choked, struggling to continue. "I would be bent down on one knee, with this ring in my hand. He pulled out a simple small diamond in a red velvet box. His head popped up as a faint, steady beep started on the monitor.

"I'll be waiting for that proposal." I whispered, turning my head slightly to face him.

"Cam!" He gasped, grabbing me tightly.

"If you squeeze to hard, I just might die again." I joked lightly. He pulled back, still holding my hand.

"You could've spared me that embarrassment, Wren." Zach scoffed.

"I thought it was cute." He laughed. "You're a shit brother!" He mocked.

"Haha you're terrifically funny." Zach rolled his eyes. He looked down at me, as if it were for the first and last time.

"Wait, where are the others?"

"In the other room still thinking your dead." Wren mocked. "Amateurs. The body takes a while to-"

"Shut the actual fuck up Wren." Zach chimed. "Nurse write this down. Agent Morgan, time of death-" He mocked.

"Gotta make up for the years. Man, am I gonna miss you."

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I am gonna do some traveling, probably win a couple awards. I'll be back before you realize I left."

"We're gonna miss you too. You gonna be back soon?" He shoved his hands in his pockets.

"I hope to. I'm gonna call the others." He dismissed the topic. "They'll be glad to know you played dead for a couple minutes." I sat there holding Zach's hand as I watched the others run in one by one. By the time they got close to me, Zach had been pushed to the back of the room. He stood there smiling, his hands in his pockets, and he nodded at me. I looked back to my friends.

"Cam, you made it."

"Yeah, I did."

A/N So no one is dead! I couldn't kill her off after making everyone wait so freaking long for the ending, but I promise you that there will be at least one story where they die, don't worry any of your pretty little heads about it. I realized I'm gonna drag this out a little longer, I mean they aren't going to live normal lives with Josephine on the loose, right?

Guest: The author does it because authors are like bad guys. We pull out knives to make sure we have your full attention lmao. Glad you liked everything but my evil plot twist :) if it makes you feel better she's not dead, and it's not the end yet :) You brightened my morning you're the first comment I've seen in a while on this story, so thank you.

Guest: I'm guessing you're glad that no one is dead, it seems too easy, right? It's not over yet ;) and maybe what happened to Matt will happen to Cammie... I'm the author... Plot Twist! Bam! Bang! Boom!


	21. Chapter 21

_**Chapter 22: We Deserve A Happy Ending.**_

This is a bonus chapter.

I hid it for too long, this story will have a follow up story! I know, I'm happy too. It's a little bit cheesy but I still love it and I wouldn't change anything. This chapter was gonna be in the next story as a way to start it off, but I changed my mind. Why? Because I can. Anyways, enjoy your 'sneak peek'.

Weeks Later:

Update, I'm still in the hospital. Yeah I've been here for weeks. Honestly I need a change of scenery.

They brought me a tablet and a couple books to entertain myself with, but I prefer staring out the window. Especially in the morning, when the sky is just a splash of pastels, beautifully subtle hues of purple and pink, blue, and sometimes a hint of orange.

The flowers are blooming. Sometimes Wren takes me out into the garden to pick flowers, he claims I'm his favorite patient, but it's because I'm his brother's girlfriend.

I probably sound extremely dumb, but I miss the spy work. Zach talked with the director (after getting De'Ante on probation) and I'll be able to start when I'm healed. I miss the thrills and the danger, and even the paperwork. It's better than laying in a hospital bed all day, eating mush and drinking prune juice (I over exaggerated that a little bit).

I let my gaze drift to the window once again, but today something felt different. The colors were more vibrant, radiant, there was even splashes of green and red, colors that weren't usually there. It was like there was a hope in the skies today.

"How does my favorite person feel today?" Wren interrupted my thoughts. I looked at him as he stood in the doorway, his white lab coat swaying at his sides.

"Tired of hospital food." I sighed, watching as Zach creeped up behind him. "Didn't you say you were going traveling to win awards and all that bullshit?"

"Ouch, trying to get rid of me so quickly." He put his hand in his heart. "I thought we had something." He chuckled.

"Shut up and get on with the poking and making me pee in cups." He laughed.

"You know, the usual, then you're done for the day." Wren added.

"What's Zach doing here if it's just a normal check-up?"

"Well, he just decided to come today, don't worry about it." I saw a faint smirk appear on Zach's face as he looked to his feet.

We went through my usual routine: urine, temperature, weight, blood pressure, a test on my physical health and strength, and my blood sugar. After my little prick, I got my cookie and orange juice.

"It's almost over." Zach grabbed my hand.

"I can't wait to get out of this room, and go back to Roseville, and get to work-"

"Take it easy, you're still gonna be resting even when you leave."

"Why is that?" I pouted.

"Because I said so." I huffed and looked at him.

"I thought you were about to die, I refuse to lose you just because you didn't wanna stay in bed." He glared, but then the look softened. I watched as his smirk turned into a smile, a fire burning behind his eyes.

"Screw it, I'm doing it now." He bent down on one knee next to the hospital bed. Rays of the morning sunlight strayed on his face.

"I was gonna wait until you got out, but I can't keep this ring in my pocket forever." He chuckled. I felt my breath hitch, before I calmed down. "Cameron Ann Morgan, will you be the one person I think of when I wake up, the one person who has to tolerate me every hour of the day-"

"Are you mentally slow? There's a name for that, it shouldn't take you this long." Wren chimed from the back of the room, his finger gently tapping his watch. I felt my breath hitch in the back of my throat.

"Wife." He rolled his eyes at Wren before turning his gaze back to me. "I want her to be my wife." He breathed. "After everything that's happened in this hell of a crazy couple of months, I don't want to lose you because of anyone, even if that means hiding you in a basement. I want to wake up in the morning knowing that wherever you are, may it be Rome, or China, or Timbuktu for all I care, you are mine and only mine. I want a little mini-me or a mini you running around in a couple years screaming despite the fact that I didn't want to have kids, hell, you make me want to have kids! I wanna call you Mrs. Goode and I want the whole world to call you the same thing. I need to be sure. I've never been sure about anything, whether to put sugar or cream in my coffee, how to use the toaster, if I parallel parked my car properly," I let out a gentle chuckle before leaving him to continue. "But I'm sure about this. You are the only sure thing I have left, the only family that still matters, that's been there when I had nothing. I can't lose you Cammie, not to a bullet or another man, I can't lose you to anything. So here I am, on one knee holding a dainty little ring, spilling out everything I've hidden from you, the feelings I kept inside of me, throwing my pride at a wall like I did to the table a couple weeks ago, and asking you to marry me. Will you?" I pulled my hand to my chin, making a strange face at him.

"Wait." He cocked an eyebrow. "You're actually thinking about this?"

"I'm weighing my options." I giggled. "I mean, after everything we've been through I could just say yes, but that seems too easy."

"Make your decision quickly." He eased closer and gently started kissing my cheek. "And don't say no." I let the suspense drag out a while longer, the kisses pull themselves a little further.

"Fine, I'll marry you." He smiled and wrapped his arms around me.

"Ew, get a room." Wren coughed.

"Well actually, we kinda already have one." Zach smirked.

"Not in my state! Wait until the stitches are out." I teased. I looked from him to the window, then back to him.

"You think it'd be stupid to get married in the hospital garden?" He asked.

"You wanna elope?"

"No, but I don't wanna wait either." He smiled, and I couldn't help but laugh. This was the idiot I signed up to spend the rest of my life with... goodness help me.

THE END

(Well actually, no it isn't (I just wanted to say that so much) keep reading.)

2 weeks later:

I strolled through the grey halls of the CIA until I arrived at the big steel doors. I pressed my hand to the cold metal scanner, feeling it stinging and pricking my hand. The doors opened to reveal everything just the way I left it, for a time, I thought I'd never see it again. My information displayed itself on the door.

Cameron Ann Morgan

Status: Dead.

Probably wondering why it's says 'dead', right? Well the director claims the only way to get to Josephine is if she believes that I died like she expected.

So I guess you could say I'm on the run, like usual.

I grabbed a couple clothes and anything important that I left in my office, shoved it in a bag, gave everything one last look and left, watching the doors close behind me.

I realized it would be a while before I saw my office again, before I saw a glimpse of normal people and normal life. It would be a while before I could be Cammie again.

I went into the Department of Disguise and picked a profile. Black hair with white ends, loose curls, black eyes, same height and weight as me. I pulled out a white shirt and booties to match. I took some of her ID's, money, and two credit cards in her name. I looked in the mirror, twirling the long tips of the hair around my finger. I sat in the dressing room taking a little bit of time to read the profile.

Name: Wilma Ndala Frank

Age: 28

Habits: Partying, going to clubs, standing out.

Likes: Caramel Cone Crunch Ice Cream, Tennis, shades of blue, drawing, tourists spots.

Dislikes: Blood banks, helicopters, any shade of pink, basketball, soccer, New York, Paris.

Status: Went missing a couple years ago, family assumes that she ran to California. Family looked for her three years before retreating to their home in Wisconsin.

I realized that this girl was nothing like me. Only thing we had in common was a love for tourists spots, and running away. I picked up my mass of papers and shoved them into a random purse.

No one said goodbye to me. It was safer that way. Moles are on every level of the CIA. If I'm seen by one, Josephine is sure to know, so I continued slipping through the halls until I made it into a passage that would take me directly to a private section of vehicular assistance.

I picked the keys and started looking for the car, weaving in and out of the aisles.

"Cammie?" I jumped preparing to use every defense technique I learned in the 8th grade, until I turned around and saw Anthony's brown eyes looking at me in fear.

"You scared the living shit out of me." I took a breath of relief.

"I'm sorry. Director told me what's happening so I got you a bit of gear." He handed me the briefcase that had my name on it.

"Thanks Anthony, I'll be back when this is all over."

"Okay, see you soon." He crept back over to his station.

I finally found the keys to the car and drove off, my destination unknown for now. Rome? Nah, too much history there. Paris? No, my profile doesn't like Paris or New York. England? No, Bex's parents live there, and no one knows about this mission. I stopped the car at a gas station and looked at my phone.

23 missed calls.

19 messages.

6 voicemails.

I ignored that and turned the phone off slipping it into my pocket. Most of those were Bex and Zach trying to figure out where I am. Did I mention that I'm going on a super dangerous secret mission alone, and that I didn't tell my fiancé? Must've forgotten.

Yep, I'm a shit wife-to-be.

It's better this way. As much as I hate DeAnte, he was right. I put my family in danger, and I refuse to do it again. I pulled my laptop off the dashboard and started looking for locations. Zimbabwe sounds cool, but there are too many mosquitoes, don't want to look like a toad for my wedding (that is if Zach doesn't kill me)

Greece sounded like a good option until I read a list of the laws there. Let's just say none of that interested me.

A cruise to Nassau. It seemed perfect. 5 days stuck in the middle of the pacific with no cell service and little wifi spots. It was the best place for a spy to hide. No cameras, no bugs, no work.

I booked the biggest room paying with a credit card in my profiles name and closed the laptop. I started the car and rolled the window down, the wind pushing my hair all over the place. I had a long drive before me.

 _ **Bex POV**_

Cammie is an insensitive bitch.

Honestly, I know she's run off again.

23 missed calls, 19 messages, and 6 voicemails, and we still can't find the bloody girl.

Liz has hacked into every satellite from here to the moon, she's gotten herself into MI6 and Interpol, and she's tried the dead drop. Absolutely nothing on Cammie.

Zach has a couple leads, he finally found a point of focus after breaking every glass object in their apartment. Some girls that Cammie would disguise herself as, some that look like her. I don't want to shatter his hopes but I don't think he's anywhere close. When a chameleon wants to blend, it will, but when a chameleon wants to hide, it comes out when it's ready, or when the snake eats it.

"These leads aren't leading us anywhere!" Zach stomped down the hall, the whole apartment trembling.

"Zach, chill out."

"You know I hate you. I hate that of all people you're the one being calm." He swung his arms in the air.

"I'm being calm because I have no choice! I realized something. Whenever I'm calm we all make it out in one piece but whenever I let myself go crazy we all end up hurt in some way." I yelled, my voice threatening to give up on me. "You're either calm or you're dead."

Guys that's the next chapter. Keep leaving me reviews because I swear that inspires me to keep moving on.

BritishBombshell007: I'm so sorry for doing that to you. Glad to let you know that she's alive and well, and that she should stay that way for the rest of the story. The others, I'm not sure ;) like I always say, I'm the author. Also, keep leaving reviews they make me so happy and inspired me to keep this story alive


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22:

I weaved through the back roads of Florida, the gps screeching that I'm 8 miles from the road I should've been on. If the gps was smart, it would know that road had cameras, and cameras are what I'm running from right now.

I continued on, my eyes threatening to close from the dull scenery of never ending trees and grass. I never knew driving was this boring, probably because Zach always drove.

Zach. Every one of my thoughts somehow makes it back to him.

I pull up in a parking lot 2 miles from the port. I knew that the rest of the way I'd be walking.

Zach POV

She left. Once again, Cammie is gone.

I swear everyone asks me what I see in her, Bex does it when Cam aggravates her, Liz did when she came back that summer, and Macey would do it if she were here now.

I see a chase in Cammie. I see a girl worth following from here to Australia. She runs, I follow, even if it makes me feel like a loyal guard dog. She makes my life worth it, despite all the times she runs from me thinking its protecting the people she cares for. She's the reason I'm pushing on.

But it doesn't change the fact that I'm extremely mad about her leaving.

In fact, it makes it hurt more.

Liz and I have hacked into every database worth hacking into, have footage of every camera from here to China, and let's not mention the satellites were accessing right now.

She doesn't want to be found, and that worries me. The last time she didn't want to be found, she went missing for a whole summer, came back with scars, short black hair, and memory loss.

Somehow that thought sent a new energy in me, it made me look harder, slip through the cracks she would've went through. I'd try to do what she does, close my eyes and let my fingers lead me to where she was, but nothing.

I stood up and stormed out of the apartment and into my car, bex calling after me.

"Where the hell are you going?"

"I don't know." I shouted slamming the car door. I started the engine.

"Zach, you shouldn't do this!" She yelled after me. I ignored her and hit the gas pedal. I needed to relax, and that house wasn't helping.

Matthew POV

I walked slowly onto the boardwalk of the cruise ship, sipping on some alcoholic drink and staring at the scenery, the mix of blues, reds, and oranges as they met at the horizon. The cruise ship hadn't left for Nassau yet, still waiting for some passengers that needed to board. Only one of those passengers were of any interest to me.

Wilma Ndala Frank. An alias I've seen and know very well, as she pretended to be my step-sister undercover for 8 months, and I'm not sure if you have the clearance level to read about that mission. Only thing is, she died before we completed that mission, meaning someone else was pretending to be her. Or maybe she was alive and I'm wasting my time, I mean, lately people just rise from the dead. But I'd rather believe someone was trying to be her.

Cameron. Wilma shared two things with her, a love of tourist spots and a love for running away. She was surely young, but at the time she looked old enough to be my step-sister, old enough for Cammie to pretend to be her.

The instant I saw the wave of black hair and white ends something came over me. I ran downstairs and sat in the lounge, nonchalantly continuing to sip my drink, a fatherly look on my face. The one meaning I caught ya. Cameron walked past me without such as a glance. I continued my act. We would be on a cruise ship for five days, and Nassau the next five, there was no way we wouldn't be crossing paths again.

Cammie POV:

I checked in as quickly as possible, feeling like I was being watched. I let my eyes shift to both of my sides, my head not turning to follow them. And then I saw him.

Dad.

Honestly, can't I go one place in my life without being followed? My friends, Zach, and now my dad?

I was a couple seconds from snapping when the lady at the check in caught my attention.

"Ms. Frank, your room is at the top floor, here is your card for elevator access, and thank you for choosing us." She flashed a commercial smile as I headed for the elevator. I pulled my suitcase quickly behind me and rushed up to my suite.

Once I was safely inside, I did a basic bug sweep and camera check. When it was all clear I plunged into the bed. I don't really care that my dad was on the same ship as me. I would deal with him after my nap.

This one is surely short! The next one is a good 4,000 words to make up for it. Keep reading and leaving comments they honestly make me so happy and encourage me to keep updating. Sorry if I don't reply to the other comments in this chapter my phone is at 2% but I wanted to get something in since I haven't updated in forever.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23:

This one is a longer one, I couldn't separate or cut out anything so just bare with me.

"Room service for Miss Frank." There was a knocking on the door. I pulled my silk robe closer to me and slipped over to the door. I brushed my fingertips against the cold doorknob opening it.

"You can just-" I drifted off as I looked at the figure in front of me.

"What's up Mini-Morgan? Dad got your tongue?" He laughed, leaning against the door frame.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" I asked as if I didn't see him when I was boarding.

"That's what I should be asking you." He pushed the cart in and closed the door behind him. "So whatcha doing here?" He asked childishly.

"I'm taking a vacation." I muttered, walking away, unable to face him.

"A vacation in which your fiancé and best friends have no idea as to where you're headed?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm surprised you knew where I was. How did you find me?" He sat down on the bed.

"Wilma Ndala Frank was an agent who I worked with on a mission and she was declared dead, so don't be surprised when I show up because I saw her name under a cruise reservation."

"I knew I should've used a different alias." I sighed, plopping back onto the bed.

"Are you gonna tell me why you're really here?" He asked.

"I don't think I'm at liberty to discuss the details." I lowered my head.

"CIA assigned?" He asked. I sat there in silence, but my silence meant a thousand words to him. "Camster can't you see? They're going to make you disappear just like they did to me." He exclaimed. "Who assigned the mission?"

"Director Wickett."

"Of course it was Wickett." He threw his hands in the air. "Every mission she's every assigned me, I almost died, and now she's sending you away? It makes perfect sense! Wickett wants us to disappear."

"Dad, Josephine is still out there. Director Wickett said-"

"Cammie, listen to me." He held my shoulders. "I want you to tell me everything that happened on your way here." And from there I began explaining what happened from when I picked up my mission to the exact moment that he knocked on the door.

"You say no one saw you?"

"Only Anthony."

"Anthony is a mole." He finished.

"Not possible. I've known Anthony since I started working at the CIA and he can barely look me in the eyes, he wouldn't plot against me."

"People are much more capable than what you see in them."

"Dad, no one followed me here but you. Anthony isn't a mole, if he was I wouldn't still be standing here." I insisted.

"Cam, I've heard the name Anthony around Josephine before. It's not a coincidence that he is the only one that saw you, and claims that Wickett sent him to give you weapons."

"Dad I won't believe it."

"Please for the love of god listen to what I'm telling you." He grabbed my shoulders. "She will do everything possible to help Josephine resurface and take us as hostages, or she'll have both of us killed."

"Dad, I'm not doing it. Josephine is out there, I am in danger. I'm gonna stay on the run until it is safe for me to go back to my fiancé." I crossed my arms around my chest, a sign that he couldn't say another word to make me change my mind.

"Fine, then I'm staying with you." He huffed, his posture the same as mine, neither of us willing to give in to the other.

I took my place on the couch by the patio window, gazing out at the blue waters. They sparkled against the setting sun as the propellers pushed us further away.

We agreed to take shifts watching, occasionally going out and checking the perimeter. I decided to pick up some of the voicemails and listen to them.

1st message: _Cammie, I've called five times. Gallagher Girl I need to know if your okay and what you want for dinner, so just call me back_.

2nd Message: _Cam, what's going on? This is 8 calls now and it's not like you to ignore my calls. You can ignore Bex, but you won't get away with ignoring me for long_.

3rd message: _Yo, Cammie it's me_. She took a deep breath. _I swear to bloody hell if you've run I will kill you myself. Answer our calls or I will castrate your fiancé because I can't have this idiot going crazy on my watch, again_.

4th message: _You are at an all time low_. She huffed. _17 calls between Zach and I and you can't answer one? I hope you forgot your phone somewhere or something because it'll be easier to be mad at you when you get back_.

5th message: _Cammie, I know you're hearing this somewhere, that you're probably on the run or in CIA custody or at a male strip club_. She took a pause. _I just wish you trusted me enough to tell me where you're headed and why. I know you see my calls, I know you're listening to my messages, just stay safe Morgan_.

6th message: _Gallagher girl, it's me. I told you I was gonna lock you in the basement, should've done it when I had the chance_. He let out a low chuckle. _Please don't do this to me. Please do not leave me in the darkness as to where you are, or where you're going_. His voice cracked. _Ugh, Cammie why do you have to be like this?_ He sighed. _Liz is doing every hacky-thing to track you, she's just in the corner rocking herself with her computer on her lap. Bex is doing that annoying thing where she paces and screams occasionally, she's belching like a dying whale. Liz let it slip to Macey that you went incognito, she's coming back from her trip early no doubt with a death sentence over your head. We're all worried about you, especially me, because I don't want to go to a wedding where the bride doesn't make it down the aisle. Did I mention that we're supposed to get married and you just ran off like that? You're a shit wife-to-be_. He chuckled as a single tear ran down my cheek _. I know you do this thinking you're protecting us, but you're really hurting me more, because if I keep breaking vases and punching windows, I'm gonna lose a hand_. He joked. _Speaking of which, you have to pay for the windows maintenance are replacing later this week_. He became serious again. _Do me this one favor and don't do anything stupid until I get there. No jumping off cliffs, or getting kidnapped, or confronting enemies. At least wait until I get there. It's gonna take me hours, days even, before I find you, but I will find you_.

"I know you will." I whispered, a couple tears running down my cheeks, the little bastards.

Even though it wasn't time for me and my dad to switch shifts, I couldn't bring myself to sleep. It was probably the guilt telling me to at least send them a message, or to post something on the dead drop, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I knew what I was risking, what I was losing when I took this mission, but I still took it, and now I'm stuck with the consequences of my decision.

"Camster, you crying?" My dad pulled himself up.

"No." I muttered wiping my cheeks and eyes. His footsteps echoed in the room as he approached me, putting his arms around me.

"Yeah, you're definitely crying." He peeped his head over my shoulder to look at me.

"Dad, I think I made a mistake."

"No shit." He whispered laughing. "We all make mistakes like this."

"Mom doesn't."

"You're mother is secretly a demon who can tell good decisions from bad ones." He nudged me and I laughed gently. "I'm gonna keep you safe, okay?"

Zach POV

I entered the house and closed a door with a slam, and for that I was met with a slap.

"Are you out of your mind?" Macey's hand connected to my face again.

"Don't start with me." I began to walk away. She grabbed my arm and pulled me back to face her.

"Don't walk away from me." She pointed her manicure hand at me. "What the hell were you thinking letting her leave?" She snapped.

"I was thinking that she's a grown woman and that I can't control her decisions." I shot back.

"This is Cammie we're talking about, someone has to do it."

"This is my fiancé we're talking about, I'm not turning our marriage into a daddy-daughter relationship!" I threw my arms in the air.

"Both of you shut up!" Liz shouted, her voice ready to make the whole building shatter. "I think I found her." We all ran up and huddled around Liz as she showed us video footage of a person in a Jeep. She looked nothing like Cammie.

"Liz, what is this?"

"I was scanning through all of the stoplight cameras, scanning faces for bone structure that matches Cammie, and I found this." She pointed to the video. "It matches her facial structure 99.45212%." She showed us the results from the scan. Liz danced around the room as she explained, at the moment everyone had put a cork in it. "And that same vehicle took a backroad that leads to the dock for cruise ships heading to Nassau, and the Caribbean, so I kept digging." She pulled up more stats. "I ran facial recognition on everyone, checking reservations and I.D.'s used. Wilma Ndala Frank." She took the papers hot from the printer and threw them on the table. "That's the one that matches our profile. Cruise 12432 to Nassau, and the time difference between this video footage and her check in time is the exact amount of time it would take her to get there. If she took the backroads there would be an estimated mile walk, and knowing Cam's distance over time ratio, she would've made it to check in at 4:21, half an hour before the boat leaves the port."

"So we just meet her at the boat?" Bex suggested.

"It's not that easy. The boat left three hours ago. I have coordinates but no way to get there."

"Helicopters. I'll go make some calls." Macey walked off and went outside.

"I'll work out reservations and aliases with Liz." Bex chimed.

"I'll go get weapons." I walked down the hall and ran into our closet. Pulling the load of Cammie's clothes aside, I felt my finger against the wall for the fingerprint scanner that blends into the wall.

I felt a buzzing under my finger as the wall slid inside and a giant safe appeared. I input the code to reveal a bunch of arms. Hunting guns, long range, pistols, tasers, an advanced first aid kit, and lots of bullets. I loaded most of them into a bag and closed it. I pressed my finger against the scanner again and watched as everything disappeared back into its place.

"You guys done?" I called down the hall.

"Yeah, come get the temporary plates Liz printed and put them on your car." Bex called. I did as I was told and got in my car.

"Guess what buddy? You and me are carpooling." Macey mocked, closing the door behind her. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

"Just please don't talk and we'll have a pleasant car ride." I suggested.

"Not likely. I'm gonna drive you mad and you're gonna have to be cool with it." She crosses her arms and it felt like a cry for help was stuck in my throat.

We drove up until the coast of Florida where we meet the helicopter drivers. Macey has driven me insane since she stepped foot in my car, she claims it's payback for me losing Cammie in the first place.

Reminder: Carpool with Liz next time.

I stepped out of the car and into the darkness of the night. It was about midnight by the looks of it. The normal blanket of stars in the countryside was replaced by a black blanket illuminated by a white half-moon. I took in all the fresh air as the helicopter landed a few feet from us. The door opened and a figure I knew very well stepped out.

"Grant?"

"It's been a while, douche." He slapped my arm.

"You dropped contact a month and a half ago, ass."

"I was using the dead drop you bum." I couldn't help from laughing.

"It's really good to see you, I'm glad you're back."

"I don't really have a choice with my boss over there." He pointed to Bex and we both started laughing.

"Alright we have an hour flight, I suggest you all shut up and get in." Grant called out. I sat in between him and Jonas, who was tracking the cruise from his laptop. Macey, Bex, and Liz occupied three of the five seats in the back, our bags taking the other two.

"Okay guys get ready for a comfortable and safe flight, then be prepared to rappel down onto your cruise. My name is Grant Newman, I will be your main pilot for the day, Jonas will be my co-pilot and navigational expert, and Zach is the bum that we let sit in the front because we're the boss. Preparing for takeoff." He put down the intercom and started the helicopter.

"Yo, this helicopter has everything!" Bex exclaimed. "WiFi, food, a bathroom, a bedroom."

"The bedroom is for those steamy nights." Grant winked.

"Excuse me?"

"I said absolutely nothing." He jumped.

Besides that it was a smooth ride as Grant promised. We arrived as quick as possible, dodging the storm behind us. We all changed into our disguises using a couple wigs Macey had stolen a few weeks back, and some things I kept from the Department of Disguise.

"Okay ladies and gentlemen I need you all to get in single file and rappel onto your cruise ship. I hope you are armed as I heard that this just might get messy. As promised we have a smooth landing onto the balcony of Zach's runaway fiancé, on your ship, the S. . We thank you for flying with us and we hope you don't die. Prepare for landing." He said in his smoothest male flight attendant impression. I could hear the girls cackling as he put the intercom down.

Grant led down the ladder as I led us all one by one onto the balcony of the ship. We landed with a thud, something I would definitely be complaining about when we get back on, because I remember being promised a smooth landing.

With all of us loaded onto the balcony, Bex did a little fiddling with the lock and watched as it slid open. We all creeped inside to find the bedroom empty.

"Liz, you sure this is the right room?"

"The biggest room on the top floor is under her name."

"So either were in the wrong room-"

"Or they got out before we made it here." Macey finished.

Cam POV

Moments Earlier.

There was a knocking at the door. My dad and I gave each other the same look before tiptoeing as quietly as possible into the bathroom.

"Maybe if we're here long enough they'll go away." I suggested.

"Or, they'll just bang the door down." He began unscrewing the vents. "You first." He cupped his hands as I put my feet on them and climbed in, my dad following closely behind. Cobwebs attached to our faces as we went deeper into the vents system, pausing over an empty room to find our way through. My dad pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket.

"Is that a map of the vents?"

"Camster, you're so much like me, but I am far more advanced than you. The things I know are things Joe can't teach you." He winked at me before returning his focus to the map. "Since we are about 139 meters from the top floor suite, if we go about 28 more we'll end up in the bathrooms near the dining hall, from there we can disguise as regular tourists."

"How are we gonna disguise ourselves if we left our clothes in the room?"

"The gift shop." He smiled as we continued on, dropping ourselves into the family bathroom. We both walked out as collected as possible and ran into the gift shop.

My dad chose a floral top with a pair of khaki shorts while I chose a long white floral dress with a slit that went up to my thigh, and a pair of sandals. He paid with a visa card under the name of 'Mike Matthews', which was initially declined so I paid with a card under Wilma's name, and it was accepted.

"I shouldn't stand around watching you wear that dress." He whispered.

"Why?"

"1. You're my daughter. 2. All these guys are staring." I turned around and saw the guys piled over in the corner, and I let out a laugh.

We both walked around to the booths in the restaurant, taking a seat as deep into the crowd of passengers and busy waitresses as possible. A very polished lady approached us with two menus and two glasses of water.

"My name is Karen and I will be your waitress for tonight." She placed down the two menus and the drinks. "Ring the small bell to your left when you've chosen your order." She whisked herself away.

"This menu only has salads?"

"There's a couple pasta's in there." I pointed to the next page.

"I was promised meat, chicken, and fries, not rabbit food, cheddar broccoli soups and-" He immediately shut up. "Never mind I found the page." He muttered. I giggled behind my newspaper before watching my dad press the green button on the side. The waitress whisked back in a hurry with a tablet in her hand.

"Are you both ready to order?" We nodded our heads. "What can I get for you?"

"I'll have the Chicken Alfredo."

"Sides?"

"The french baguette."

"And your drink?"

"White wine."

"And for you Sir?"

"I'll take the hungry man meal."

"Would you like it medium or rare?"

"Rare."

"Would you like the chicken crispy or original?"

"Original."

"Sauce on the side?"

"Yep."

"And what would you like to drink?"

"Whiskey, smooth." He finished.

"Would you like to try out our Lava Cake for desert?"

"Yes please." My dad said without hesitation.

"I'll have the gelato instead." She nodded her head.

"There's about a 7 minute wait, then we'll be out with your plates." She gave us both one last smile before walking away. I sat there scrolling through pictures on my phone before my dad snatched it right out of my hand and sat on it.

"Do you mind?" I put my hand out signaling for him to give it back.

"Yes I do, this long you lived without me. I missed so many moments in your life and you're staring at a screen."

"I went basically six years without a phone, excuse me for being interested in them." I looked at the soft look in his eyes. "Alright, what do you want to talk about?"

"Tell me something, literally anything about you." He leaned in, propping his elbows on the table.

"Um, my first interrogation was sophomore year." I chuckled nervously. "A civilian saw me get pulled into a truck and bulldozed a building down, not knowing that it was part of my semester exam." My dad laughed as I continued.

"The first time I used a napotine patch, it was on myself. I was out for a good 10 hours." His laugh swayed in the room like the smells of Cinnabons from the cafe. I continued telling him stories, until out of the corner of my eye I saw a man appearing with our plates.

Zach POV

Only a couple moments earlier:

"I need someone to get these out to table 15 for me." A tall and lean lady shouted.

"I got it." I called back rushing to her.

"You new?" She asked eyeing me.

"I was hired just this morning ma'am." I gave her a toothy smile and she left me be.

"Ok," she squinted at the badge on my chest. "Erwin." Honestly I hate whoever chose my name. "Get these to the lovely man and woman at table 15. Don't forget your manners." I nodded before tapping my ear.

"Bookworm, you hear me?"

"Yeah, what do you need?"

"Can you tell me where table 15 is?"

"Do you not know how to count?" She hissed, making me jump and almost drop the plates.

"Just help me out." I pleaded.

"Table 15 is right smack dab in the middle of the restaurant." She snapped, her southern accent stronger.

"Thanks." I rushed over.

Usually I would be able to see Cammie in any crowd, but as she sat right in front of me I could barely tell that this was the woman I decided to propose to.

She had long black hair with white tips that she put up into a messy bun, two strands hanging at the sides. She wore a dress that was so revealing that if I caught one more dude looking at her, I'd kill them with a plastic fork.

"Sir, Ma'am, your meal is served." I put the plates down, neither of them really giving me more than a side glance. "Would you like to try our runaway fiancé special, I heard its very satisfying when you're finished chasing the flavor." I said, as obviously as possible. The woman's eyes met my green ones, complete shock in them.

"Zach?"

That's the end! You guys when I saw three comments on my story this morning (literally I updated last night) I think I had heart palpitations... Thank you so much for your support it keeps me alive!

Reviews:

Guest: I mean, anyone could find her, it's like an endless game of hide and seek ;) xxx

BritishBombshell007: Well she's stuck on the boat with her dad, and now the gang is here too! I loved how they found each other too, it's like saying that "you're good, but I'm better" I really wanna introduce more moments of Cam with Matt.

Smiles180: it's because they're about to get married (sequel in progress) Cammie and her dad were enjoying father-daughter bonding until Mr. sparkly-eyes showed up. Next chapter will kill.

Again thank you all so much for your kind words and I am brewing some evil that'll be coming very soon xxx


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24:

"Cammie." He said, barely leaving me room to reply. He pulled me out into the hall and pushed me up against the wall. I stood there, his breath hot on my neck. "I should be really mad at you for leaving."

"Aren't you?" I whispered.

"No." He sighed. "No matter how hard I try, I'm not mad that you left, I even understand why you left. I just don't like that you left without me." He smirked. I took a breath of relief as he hugged me in the hallway. After everything I've done, you could say I expected worse.

"No PDA in front of me, you still haven't asked my permission." My dad snuck up on us, ruining the moment. "Sorry, am I interrupting something?" We both cleared our throats and ignored him.

"Where are they?" I rolled my eyes, turning around. He gave me a playful look.

"Who?" He smiled.

"The rest of the evil beings you travel with." I looked around his shoulder.

"Oh, they're hidden, disguised. You wanna know where they are? You gotta find them yourself."

"Fine, I'll just go up to my room, they can meet me there." I began to walk off but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"Okay, okay." He tapped his ear. "Bookworm, Duchess, Peacock? Come out to dining hall 2." I watched as they all swarmed us.

Bex was dressed up in a floor length emerald dress that hugged her curves with a certain flowy vibe to it at the same time. She wore a dark black Afro wig with blue contacts and earrings. Liz wore a reds baseball cap over the auburn wig, with a white and green varsity shirt that she paired with capris. Macey was wearing the same blonde wig and black contacts that our waitress had.

"So you were Karen?" I exclaimed.

"No, there was definitely another girl with that name, I blamed it on coincidence."

"You guys shouldn't be here." I began looking around. "You all should've stayed home, I'm not supposed to have taken anyone with me. You guys are always putting yourself in danger like this-" "What are you doing? Aren't you putting yourself in danger by walking in to this mission blindly without backup?" Bex snapped.

"I'm in danger whether I run or if I hide. I'm protecting you guys!" I threw my hands in the air.

"Oh, because we went through five years of spy school and a whole year of training to be getting protected." Zach rolled his eyes.

"You don't understand." I sighed. "They're after me, not you. Let them come find me, not you."

"Jamais. On reste avec vous." Macey said in French, crossing her arms and giving me a dangerous look. Macey spoke in French when she wanted to show that she wasn't budging.

"I'm having you guys evacuated." I pulled out my phone. From the corner of my eye I saw the looks on all of their faces change.

"Wait." Macey's finger was on my lips. She pretended to listen for a few seconds before she snapped a warm patch onto my arm.

"See you in the morning sweetheart." Zach whispered as I stared at him with stony eyes. Eventually I couldn't keep my eyes open, and I drifted off.

I woke up tied to the bed... well that was a new one. Seriously, I've been tied to everything but beds. Chairs, walls, ladders, stairs, they even had my chains built into the cement once, but I was never tied to a bed.

I turned to the right, letting my eyes adjust to the light. When I turned back around I saw a shirtless man sitting on a chair in front of me, sipping on a cup of coffee and scrolling through his phone. He had gauze covering a bandage on his neck.

"What happened to you?" His head popped up, but he immediately put it back down.

"I scratched my neck last night." He could barely look me in the eye. He began typing on his phone.

"On what?"

"That metal thing next to the bed." He pointed to one of the wheels of the nightstand.

"Don't you find this a little kinky?" I shook the chains that kept me to the bed. He looked up from his phone.

"Besides the fact that you're crazy, and the fact that you threatened to have us evacuated, and on top of it we need to inject you with truth serum to interrogate you, we still want you to have a good nights sleep." Bex burst into the room, walking to Zach side. She wore a red, long sleeve, v-neck romper that stopped at her thighs. She paired it with a beige belt and a pair of booties. "Go put a shirt on." She ordered. Zach rolled his eyes looking at her.

"Don't feel like it." He challenged. Bex pinched the skin next to his collarbone.

"Put a shirt on." She ordered. "Or it gets a lot worse from here." Zach shot both of us a glare, mine meaning 'this wouldn't have happened if you told me what you wanted for dinner' before leaving our room. Bex took a seat in his chair.

"Hungry?"

"You gonna offer me the runaway fiancé special again?" I huffed.

"Nope, it was actually "tell the truth toast'." She gave me a smile. I saw Liz peep her head through the door, as if checking to make sure the beast was still in the cage.

Liz wore a short floral dress with a pair of flats and a seashell necklace I almost bought at the gift shop last night. She entered, whispering something in Bex's ear. Bex's facial expression was unreadable, but I could tell what she said wasn't good.

"Don't be too far from the den." She tapped her ear. "Bookworm is at station." With that she stood up.

"Oh, so I'm getting a babysitter." I rolled my eyes. "And of all people I get Liz." I tried to cross my chained arms over my chest.

"Well I'll be damned if you-" Bex tried to lunge at me but Liz held her back.

"Liz may be the smallest, but you wouldn't dare touch her. Whoever touches her deals with me."

"Why would I hurt Liz?" She didn't care about the words I uttered. With her final words she exited and closed the door. Liz slowly took a seat down.

"We're worried about you, Cammie." She began slowly.

"What's there to be worried about?" I snapped. "You shouldn't worry about me, there are much bigger problems out there, locking me in this room is only making things worse."

Liz pulled out a tablet from her bag. She turned the screen to video footage of me, in the same clothes I was wearing now.

"Do you want me to press play?"

"I don't see the point, it's not helping our situation." She pressed the button.

I was laying down for a couple seconds before popping up in the night. I looked like a demon.

I watched as I slowly eased over to the table, opened the canister of toothpicks and slowly picked one of them out. What the hell would I be doing with toothpicks?! My figure slowly approached another person sleeping on the bed. It was Zach. I took time to look at everything. The scratch marks on the walls, the cold metal rods of the nightstand, but especially the way Zach's chest rose up and down at a steady pace. I was getting to close to him. Next thing my hands were around his throat.

 _Cammie let go!_ He exclaimed, making his best efforts to keep me from getting too close.

 _My hands leave you dead._ I whispered, the toothpick getting closer and closer.

 _Gallagher girl, this isn't you. This is the Catherine inside of you._

 _Oh, I am so much worse than Catherine_. I began to jab the toothpick into the vein in his neck, a direct kill spot, until Macey and my dad rushed in and pulled me away from him. Blood splattered from his neck as Macey and my dad held me back. I kicked and screamed, I looked like I was taken over by something. I looked like a hollow shell with a demon inside. Bex rushed to Zach and bandaged him up. That explains why he had the bandage on this morning, and why he could barely look at me. He was afraid of me, but he didn't have the heart to tell me why.

"Do you understand what is happening here?" Liz asked, her head down.

"I attacked Zach." I whispered.

"Cammie, tell me what's on your mind right now."

"I-um, I-" I choked on the words.

"Just breathe." She soothed. "Tell me everything."

"Right now, I'm thinking that I let everyone down. I've been the worst spy, the worst fiancé, the worst friend. Right now, I think that you guys being to close is a danger to your lives. I think that we need to be far away from each other."

"Okay. Now tell me how does us being here make you feel?"

"Liz, I can't." Liz began to get up.

"Liz?" I whispered.

"Yes?" She asked turning back around.

"I'm turning myself in."

"What?" She exclaimed.

"No matter what happens, don't tell Zach what I did, don't tell him where I went."

"Cammie you know I can't-"

"They've already started looking for me." I cut right through her sentence. "I killed one last night, but there will be more. Josephine had me drugged in Sweden, she hypnotized me. I can't prove it but I can feel it. Every time I resist her orders, I come closer and closer to killing the ones I love." Liz began, easing closer to me.

"Cammie, I can't let you do that."

"Liz, you can't stop me." And with that I slapped the last available patch close to me onto her arm. I watch her drift off before sliding the keys out of her pocket.

Zach POV

"Bex, check your R." And with that Bex gave the man on her left a hard slap before finishing it off with a punch. Matthew was finishing of one of the bulky men before sliding in to help me. I snapped his neck before pushing him onto the ground, Matthew checking his pulse. Macey pushed one of them my way as I grabbed his arm and swung him into his wall, hearing the satisfying crack in his jaw. I stepped over one of the men before dusting my hands off.

"Now imagine if we weren't here." Macey huffed.

"It wasn't a fair fight anyways, 3 against 4?"

"Bookworm, come in." Bex tapped her ear.

"Come on, Liz is a big girl, she can handle herself." Matthew chimed.

"Yeah, but Cammie is cunning and deceiving. I don't trust them being in the same room together."

"They're fine." Macey added.

"Guys, I hate to say it but I'm with Bex on this one. Cammie isn't herself."

"Bookworm, come in." Bex tried again. She gave us all a look. "Liz isn't answering her comms. One of you guys try."

"Bookworm, give us a status." I tapped my ear. Nothing as well.

"You don't think she-" before she could finish her sentence I jogged off, ignoring the crowd of people that were staring at me, most likely wondering if I was crazy or maybe if why I had blood dripping from my lip. I burst through the doors of the biggest room on the top floor to find Liz passed out, and my fiancé, missing.

"There were cameras set up, check them." Matthew and I both rushed up to the tablet, and rewinded a good 10 minutes. We watched as Liz showed her footage from last night.

 _Do you understand what is happening here?_

 _I attacked Zach._

 _Cammie, tell me what's on your mind right now_

 _I-um, I-_

 _Just breathe. Tell me everything._

 _Right now, I'm thinking that I let everyone down. I've been the worst spy, the worst fiancé, the worst friend. Right now, I think that you guys being to close is a danger to your lives. I think that we need to be far away from each other._

 _Okay. Now tell me how does us being here make you feel?_

 _Liz, I can't._ Liz began to get up.

 _Liz?_

 _Yes?_ Liz spun on her feet.

 _I'm turning myself in._

 _What?_

 _No matter what happens, don't tell Zach what I did, don't tell him where I went._

 _Cammie you know I can't-_

 _They've already started looking for me. I killed one last night, but there will be more. Josephine had me drugged in Sweden, she hypnotized me. I can't prove it but I can feel it. Every time I resist her orders, I come closer and closer to killing the ones I love._ Liz began, easing closer to her.

 _Cammie, I can't let you do that._

 _Liz, you can't stop me._ And with that Cammie slapped Liz's arm and Liz began to drift off. She slid the keys out of Liz's pocket and began to ravage the room.

"She took it all!" Bex shouted. "Supplies, ammunition, disguises. The little things we brought with us she snatched and ran off." Bex threw her hands up in the air.

"We should've never left her in this room alone." I smacked the wall with my hand.

"None of that matters now, she said she's gonna turn herself in." Matthew interrupted. I stood up and headed out of the suite.

"Where are you going?" Macey called after me, her head poking out of the door.

"You guys figure out what we're going to do with Liz." I called back. "I'm chasing a runaway fiancé special."

You guys don't understand how much I love the runaway fiancé special...

Thats a wrap! I wish it could've been longer, wanted to save some for the next chapter. Don't say that she's run away this time, she's turning herself in. This story is reaching its end (sadly) which means I have to start working on other stuff too. Okay, comments time.

Zammieotp: Thank you! I love the father daughter moments, but they're hard to come up with since Cammie doesn't know much about him. I meant the next few chapters will kill, my mistake ;)

AaGallagherGirl: I love his sassy side too but I'm not very good at incorporating it, I'll admit that.

Guest: You're comment is aesthetically long, I love it! I'm glad you found that part funny, it was really hard trying to make his entrance seem Zach-like. She is very lucky to have people like them, but she's always hesitant about letting them take the bullet, she's rather take it herself. I always read the books and saw that she isn't ungrateful for the people that she has in her life, but she isn't willing to sacrifice them either. That moment between them actually had me in tears, because I wanted it to be bittersweet and instead of it hurting them it hurt me : )


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25:

Cammie POV

"This is our first stop on our cruise to Nassau. It's a personal favorite, and makes a good place for pictures. We will meet back here in exactly 6 hours, so set your timers and have fun." A chippy voice rang over the speakers as all of the families and couples hopped off. I wore high waisted jean shorts, a black tank top with a rose on it, and a jean jacket, pairing it all with hoop earrings and sandals. I mixed into the crowd of people, watching as everyone around disappeared.

In a few minutes now, Zach and the others will come back from wherever they went. They'll realize that Liz isn't answering her comms. They'll rush back into the room with the hopes that I'm there to find Liz passed out and all of their stuff missing. Rule #18 Always be inside of your target's head. It's sad that I have to think of them as a target.

I continued down until I was safely off the dock, then I ran onto the beach and close to the cabanas, where slightly pale lady with a white v-neck and high-waisted floral shorts, was waiting in a green Jeep for me.

"Walters." I said hopping in.

"Good to see you too." She popped the keys back into the ignition.

"If you were two minutes late my whole plan would've been messed up." We both laughed as she drove.

"We have a good two hour drive to a place where it's safe to take a helicopter, you think Zach can run that fast?"

"Well, it depends on how fast your driving." I smiled.

"So, what caused the sudden trip this time?" Tina's hair flew around as the wind blew.

"The usual terrorists that want to kill me for things I don't have." I sighed.

"And let me guess, you're protecting the family on this one?" I nodded. "Cammie, there's gonna come a day where you're gonna have to protect yourself." She whispered.

"I found him." I whispered.

"Your dad?"

"I also found the guy who tried to kill María." I could tell that she was interested. "Now that I've put everything back together, it doubled the things I have to lose."

"Who knows he's alive?"

"Only a couple CIA agents. There are moles on every level, someone is gonna let it slip out."

"But what does your dad have to do with the person that shot María?"

"It's the circle. There's one leader left."

"Who could possibly be left? Everyone that ever believed in that died with the people that led them."

"We killed every descendant, but the descendant of the man who started it all."

"That's not possible, Ioseph had no-"

"Yes he did. Ioseph had a frequent affair with a french maiden. That girl gave birth to twin boys, which is his direct line by technicality. From there it's always been the firstborn who gains control."

"How do you know all of this?"

"They spent they're whole life kidnapping me, you pick up a couple things on the way."

"But how do you know that the man that shot Maria is with them, maybe he's just-"

"Tina, it's all associated. I dug deeper in my spare time and found out that he was receiving funds from the Ferelinni Corp, one of the branches Josephine uses to pay off people she doesn't need often, and they want me. I need to give them what they want to stop them."

"Cam, you don't get it. You give a bad guy a chocolate chip cookie, it's gonna want a chocolate chunk cookie, and then from there a triple chocolate chunk cookie. You give them your life, they're going to turn around tomorrow and want someone else's."

"Tina, I've tried resisting, I've tried so hard." I put my head in my hands and ran my hands through my hair. "They did something to me, the more I resist her calling me, the more people I hurt. I stabbed Zach with a toothpick last night." My voice cracked as she continued to drive down the road silently, almost as if she was making a decision. It was the quietest I've ever seen her, and I wasn't sure whether I should be worried about her or enjoy the moment while it lasts.

"Cammie, I'm helping you get in." She declared.

"No, if they think something is up-" she silenced me with one finger in the air.

"Whether you like it or not, I'm already involved. You are gonna go in, I am your extract team." She ordered. I didn't bother countering, she had already made up her mind.

"Fine." I sat back and reclined my chair. The next thing I was sleeping.

Zach POV

I ran through the crowded halls, rushing past moms with babies and old ladies. By the time I had arrived at the bridge leading to the dock, the ship had already emptied, meaning that there was a high chance that Cammie was already gone. As I looked onto the dock, I tried to find anything different in the mix of footprints. The only thing that stood out was the faint tracks of tires, covered in flip flop footprints. She was gone. I let out a long sigh and started to make a few calls.

 _Grant, it's me._

 **Lemme guess, runaway fiancé ran away again?**

 _Stop calling her that._ I rolled my eyes. _How'd you know anyways?_

 **I have a source.** I could feel him smirking from my end of the phone.

 _So Bex told you?_ He went completely silent. _Anyways Cammie is going to turn herself in, you have any clue where?_

 **Wherever Josephine is gonna be next.**

 _You and Jonas work on that, we'll do what we can from our end, when you figure something out, call me asap._

I ended the call and sent a message to Bex. Within seconds she was out, standing next to me, within inches from the tire tracks. We both stared at it for a little bit, admiring what was left of the tracks in the sand.

"This is a Jeep." I stared at Bex. "Only a Jeep can make this prints in the sand."

"Zach there are a million unregistered Jeeps in the world. We need to wait for Grant and Jonas to find information on Josephine's location."

"Wait." I thought for a second. "Are you and Grant doing three way calls on me or something?"

"He's my boyfriend, I tell him, he does." She smirked at me. For some reason everyone was smirking at me instead of the other way around. Here I thought that smirking was my move.

"Fine, we'll wait for them to call. Is Liz up?"

"Macey's working on it." She looked to me as we both walked onto the dock, and back to the room. When I opened the doors, I saw Liz fully awake, with red cheeks. She winced in pain from her arm as Macey pulled the napotine patch off.

"How'd you do it?" I asked.

"You don't wanna know." Matthew chimed from the bathroom as he washed a red liquid off his hands. Was it blood or wine? In this business you can't tell the difference unless it's under a microscope. I walked over to Liz and looked into her eyes.

"You good, Bookworm?"

"I feel dead." She brought a hand to her forehead.

"You guys?" Matthew called. "Liz is gonna need a good thirty minutes to come to her senses, in the meantime we should find someone whose going to finish this cruise." I looked to him as he continued. "If a high roller like Cammie's cover just goes missing, don't you think they'd notice? Someone needs to replace her."

"I can stay back." Macey offered.

"No, it has to be someone else, I need the whole team on this one." Bex pondered for a moment, before picking up her phone and dialing a number.

"Who are you calling?"

"A Gallagher Girl."

Cammie POV

The ride was mostly silent, we were about 10 minutes from the helipad. Tina just kept driving on as I slept, kinda reminding me of Zach. A call woke me up, it was Tina's. She showed me the Caller ID, it was Bex.

"Answer it, pretend I'm not here." She pressed accept and put it on speaker.

 _Walters._

 **Hey, Tina it's Bex.**

 _Well if it isn't my favorite sister Becca! You finally called me._ She said in the most chipper voice she had in her. I could feel Bex cringing from the other end.

 **Tina, it's an emergency. Cammie is missing-**

 _Again? Please, Bex, tell me something new._ She exaggerated.

 **The thing is, she has a reservation booked, she's paying the most money on a cruise ship, and were worried that if a high-roller like the person she used as an alias goes missing, it'll lead them onto us.** I smiled at the thought about how it was my dad who probably suggested that. Damn, he was good.

 _You're asking me to go on a cruise, and spend a couple days on a boat in the biggest suite they have for free?_

 **Don't tell me you're not interested.** Bex countered sarcastically, clearly annoyed by the high pitch of Tina's voice.

 _Of course I am!_ Tina squealed as I looked at her in shock.

 **Great, we'll-**

 _But-._ Tina put a finger in the air. _I have things to do so unfortunately I have to decline._ Her voice saddened in the most fake way as she smiled at me.

 **Tina what could be more important than helping your favorite sister out?** Bex tried sound as happy as Tina.

 _Ending what could turn into the Cold War 2, hanging with my boyfriend, finding the person that almost killed my best friend María, should I go on?_

 **Tina, I am begging you, mind you that I never beg anyone, for anything.**

 _I really do wish I could, but I can't. I've got a matter of life and death on my hands._ And with that she hung up. She sat in silence for a moment before turning to me.

"So how did I do?"

"Had me fooled, I actually thought you picked the cruise." We both began to crack up.

"Ugh, the main struggle was maintaining that annoying, I'm-so-happy-all-the-time voice." She took a sip of water. "I'm so glad I don't sound like that anymore."

"Bex was your favorite sister, you always talked to her like that anyways." I chuckled.

"Bex was my favorite sister, and the best sparring partner-" we both took a pause to laugh. "I always admired you most Cammie."

"Thank you Tina."

"For what?"

"For being my sister." I looked into her eyes with sincerity before we both started laughing.

"Get your cheesy ass in the helicopter, we haven't taken off and you're already losing brain cells." And with that we hopped into the helicopter, and we were off.

I'm sorry that it's short! Wish it could've been longer but lately I've been in a funk, and instead of wanting to write FanFiction I want to read it and binge watch The Flash (having a mini Barry Allen addiction while I wait for season 2 of supergirl to be on Netflix) I just wanted to get something up for you guys.

Smiles180: To be completely honest, I didn't know it would take that turn either. My head was spinning from thinking and I just put that in. Zach will forever be determined to chase Cammie as long as it's my story :) xxx

Guest: yep, she's going headfirst to meet her doom (not the first time) honestly when I was writing that I did thing of UWS but I will make it different this time ;) xxx

AaGallagherGirl: Thanks! Honestly I wanna admit that last chapter was complete and utter improv, I definitely didn't intend it, but they can't help her get better if she keeps running off. Xxx


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26:

A long helicopter ride later.

"So how do you plan on turning yourself in?" Tina peeped over my shoulder.

"When that guy attacked me, I ravaged the room he was checked into. While I was there I found loads of documents, most of them a map of a jail, and some blueprints." I pulled out the papers and showed them to Tina. "Basically they're planning on breaking Josephine out and regrouping."

"So you're handing yourself to them at the front door?"

"And hoping that they don't kill me before I step foot inside." I chuckled nervously, my eyes no longer able to meet hers.

I can tell that she noticed my awkward pause, because I felt her staring right through me. "Cam, it's okay to be scared, or worried, or whatever emotion you're trying to hide from me."

"To be honest, all of this on its own is a suicide mission, and I think I've run out of miracles." I sighed. "If I don't make it out breathing, tell Zach to remember the code for 29." She nodded.

"As long as I am the one who ran her mouth about you, and basically made your high school a living hell, you are gonna make it out of this alive even if I have to drag you out myself."

"I like this Tina better, she's brutally honest about how annoying she was." She nudged me with her elbow.

"So where is the base?"

"Australia, deep into the countryside."

"How do they plan on running a really big terrorist group from the most under the radar continent?"

"Good question. But I know that they're meeting up at this high security prison in Tennessee first. That's where they plan to rescue Josephine."

"What do you think she wants from you?"

"Probably to rack my brain for things I don't have." I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Cammie, you shouldn't do this. Let her come to you."

"Before or after all my family and friends are dead?" She sat in silence and reclined in her chair.

It took barely an hour for us to land half a mile behind the base. I let my feet touch down onto the ground and shut the door behind me before Tina could get out. A look of shock and confusion spread quickly across her face as she continued pulling on the door handle.

I looked somberly into her eyes before whispering. "This isn't your mission, it's mine." And with that I locked the door letting her furiously bang her fists on it.

I slid down into one of the sewers and continued on into the pipeline. I didn't imagine myself to be sewer diving when I was graduating. I walked still through the darkness until I arrived at a small metal door. It was an underground entrance. I pressed onto the buzzer feeling the gentle hum of the machine under my fingers.

"Who are you with?" A voice finally croaked out.

"CIA." I replied.

"Who are you here to see?"

"Josephine Cavan."

"Josephine is not accepting visits right now."

"I'm not here to eat tea and biscuits with her, I'm here to interrogate, so if I were you it would be in my best interests to open this door." I warned. Within moments the man had already opened it with a visitors badge in hand.

I politely took the badge and was escorted to a quiet and still room. There was bulletproof glass separating me from the criminal that was mere seconds from entering. I turned to look at the door, questioning my decision to come here in the first place. By the time I had turned around I was face to face with the shell of a woman.

I immediately jumped in my chair, surprised by the lady in front of me that looked completely unfazed by the fact that she had been in a jail cell for weeks. Her hair was still perfectly shiny and not a single strand poked out. There weren't bags under her eyes and her face hadn't changed, there wasn't even a pimple or scar on her face.

"The mind replays what the heart can't delete. Do you remember that Cameron?" She smiled wickedly at me.

"It was you." I huffed unable to believe it. "This whole time I thought I was going crazy, but nothing ever happens to me without a reason." I ran my hands through my hair and looked at her. "You were the one who got in my head."

"I was just testing you, my darling." She looked at me, a mask of fake innocence on her face. "I mean, you will need to be ready if you'll be of any use to us." She looked at her cuticles, examining them as if they were the most precious diamond to ever exist.

"What do you mean?" I countered.

"You really think I made you shoot yourself with absolutely no other plan in mind?" She put her hand on her heart, seeming almost offensed by my assumption. "Cammie, I'm a criminal mastermind, the leader of the organization that wreaked the most terror on this planet, and I know talent when I see it."

"Your trying to recruit me? You think I would ever be foolish enough to-"

"You don't have much choice." She snapped, her voice icy cold. "You see Cameron, I know your strengths, weaknesses, and soft spot. I know what has to happen to make you crack, or snap, or feel. I can manipulate you like a kid does play doh, and you are forced to obey."

"Or what?" I stood up and snapped, my voice bouncing against the walls, my hands firmly pressed on the table in front of me.

"He dies." She whispered. "They die." She corrected, her voice more affirmative this time. "And no one will make it out alive."

"What do you know about Wickett?" I said quietly.

"I have my sources." She smiled. "Everyone has a pressure point, and sometimes, if you push hard enough, you can use it to bend them to your will."

"I knew I should've trusted my dad." I put my head in my hands.

"Matthew was always my favorite." She started. "Quick to crack puzzles, super observant, crazy hot." She drifted off. I cringed at her calling my dad hot. My dad wasn't bad looking, but it didn't seem like a compliment coming from her.

"Josephine, what do I have to do for you to let me go? To leave my family alone?"

"Join me." She looked up, a spark in her eyes. "Join me, and I will leave them alone. I will tell every sniper I have chasing them to fuck off. They will be completely at peace, and all you have to do is swear your loyalty to me."

I sat there in silence, knowing that there were two of the worlds biggest choices on my shoulders. I would either ignore Josephine's threat putting my entire life and the lives of the ones I love at risk, or, I go against everything I believe in, and work for the circle. ' _No one ever really leaves the Circle.'_ The words rang in my ears like an Ed Sheeran song.

"I'll do it!" I yelled, plugging my ears, trying to make the never-ending nightmare stop.

"Okay." She clapped her hands together, smiling at me, almost trying to say she was happy she could bend me to her will. "First things first."

"What?"

"You are gonna bust me out of here." I couldn't see my reaction, but I knew that I was shocked. "What?" She shrugged. "You wanna prove your loyalty? You're gonna get me out of this cell."

Zach POV

 _Jonas? You have anything for me?_

 **I have word that Josephine is being held in one of two facilities. It's either Denver or Tennessee, couldn't get any more specific than that.**

 _Am I the first one to know or is there another little birdie Grant might have chirped to first?_

 **Hey, hop off man**. Grant yelled from his side. **We can pick you up from the ship if you want.** Jonas suggested.

 _Afraid we need to find someone to keep our cover for us first. Until then, we're grounded._

 **Sounds boring, have fun with that.**

 _I hate you._ I groaned into the phone.

 **The feeling is mutual. See you soon.** And the line then went dead.

I walked back into the room, sliding the balcony door closed behind me. Bex and Macey both stared me down with looks of anticipation in their eyes.

"We have two locations, unfortunately we can't lower it down to one."

"So we split up." Bex cut in. "Macey and Matthew go to the first, you and I can go to the second."

"Bex, we don't know two people who can drive helicopters, and driving will surely take way too long-"

"I know how to drive one." Matthew's voice boomed from the back of everyone. "You guys seriously should've learned that junior year. I'm a little disappointed in Professor Buckingham." He chuckled.

"Okay, but we still don't have a helicopter for him to drive."

"You know what?" Matthew started, pulling his phone out. "You guys are newbies. I've got some connections. Let me worry about getting to the jail while you figure out whose going to keep our cover while we're gone." And with that he whisked himself away, leaving the four 'newbies' as he phrased it, left to ponder.

"Liz, have you got anything?"

"Yeah, a migraine." She snapped.

"Besides that, I mean like any suggestions?"

Liz pulled the computer close to her and her fingers began flying across the keyboard. A look of satisfaction crossed her face moments later as she pushed the computer away from her.

"What just happened?" Macey asked.

I put out a note on the GGHL."

"You mind explaining what that is?" Bex chimed.

"The Gallagher Graduate Help Line. Kim Lee created it after we graduated. I leave a message and anyone who graduated from our senior class can respond."

"So we are supposed to sit here and wait for a message from girls we haven't seen in years, hoping that maybe their going to open their phones and check this dumb-" I was interrupted by the ping of Liz's laptop. I looked over to see that we had gotten a message.

"Zach, you we're saying?" But I didn't respond because I was in a room with three trained spies who could kill me and then lie on top of me and do their makeup. I know I'm gonna die, but let's save it until after I find Cammie.

I know, I haven't updated in centuries.

I blame writers block! I have no idea as to where this is going and instead of trying to figure it out I'm watching episodes of the Flash.

I'm doing my best to end this story so I can get some new work out there. Just hang tight, okay?

Comments:

GallaghergirlsEmbassyrowFan: Hey, I've missed you! I know, Tina is going through a realization phase in my head (plus I can't stand her being annoying anymore) Yeah, at this point I'm starting to think that Cammie might have a death wish. Xxx

Smiles180: that's what I wanted, because it's ironic that after all that time, Tina would help Cammie. Xxx

Zammieotp: Thanks so much! Right now it's a difficult time for the whole Zammie relationship, but I will try to squeeze something in there just for you ;) xxx


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

A few weeks earlier.

The sunlight poured into the loft, gently touching every end of the room with its rays. The air was crisp and clean, with every breath it just got more and more refreshing. I laid on his chest, the rising and falling lifting my head up gently before bringing it back down. He stroked my hair, occasionally twirling it and pulling it away from my face. As much as I wanted to enjoy the moment, I kept turning around, looking at the time, checking my tail.

"Hey." Zach pulled my chin so that I was facing him. "What is it?"

"Nothing." I brushed it off laying back down on his chest.

"What do you wanna do today?"

"Nothing, I just wanna stay here, enjoy this moment, while I still can." I pulled him closer and lifted my head up, my hair flopping to the side. He stared at me, the look in his eyes changing.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He whispered.

I gently kissed his nose. "Nothing, just the rambles of a crazy girl." I shrugged.

"The crazy girl I decided to marry." He smiled. We let the silence absorb us for a little while. "You never told me where we're going."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"For our honeymoon." His grin reappeared.

"Don't you have to be married before you go on a honeymoon?" I chuckled.

"Not us, we're exceptions." He laced his fingers through mine. "I was thinking our room."

"Oh really?" I asked seeing his eyes as they lit up.

"Yeah, I think our room is the perfect honeymoon spot." He whispered as we both started laughing. As our laughter died down, he stared at me with longing desire to do something.

"But why wait?" He finally muttered.

"What?" I whispered.

"Cammie." We both sat up, Zach putting my hands in his. "I can't wait a minute longer to make you mine. I can't sit here and stare into those stunning eyes of yours and not want to just kiss you on the spot-"

"Zach, if I elope, Macey will kill me, Bex will dance on my grave, and Liz will find something that will bring me back to life so they can torture me again."

"We don't have to worry about them now." He pressed. "It only has to be me, you, and a priest. We are the ones who will make it special." I looked at him as a sincere smile spread across his face, and a look of desperation crossed into his eyes.

"Okay. Let's elope." I grinned, shrugging and laughing as a light red color burned through my cheeks.

"Meet me at the Gazebo in Roseville, before 8pm, okay?" He kissed me on the lips, swift and passionate, then rushed out of the door. What neither of us knew is that I wouldn't make it to Roseville that night.

"New girl." A voice snapped through the comms they had given me, breaking me out of the bittersweet memory.

"I'm in position, I called that in five times."

"Be ready." The man hissed.

"Don't tell me what to do." I muttered, sliding down the hallway. I kept going until I reached a metal cell that had a 9 inch touchpad. It was the only one with that type of tech in the hall. From the specs I can tell it had fingerprint sensors, and an override code. I slid on my leather touchpad gloves that Liz had enhanced for me and waited for the metal outside to copy one of the fingerprints. When my gloves lit up blue I took all of my fingers, twisting the circle around and watching as the screen blinked waiting for the password. "Your turn to handle things on your end." I stood there, waiting for the light to blink green, but it never did. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, it should've opened by now." The man said.

"But it hasn't." I replied.

"It says access granted on my end, it's gotta be something on yours." I began to look around, fidgeting with the knob and looking around the touchpad, until something had caught my eye. A small camera pointed directly in the middle, that had now turned red.

"We've got a problem." I pressed my hand to my ear.

"What is it?"

"They know we're trying to break her out."

"How do you know?"

"Because doors to cells like these open on one condition, and that's to put the prisoner in. The cell knows when the prisoners is inside. Putting in the password and the fingerprint, it was all a distraction. The only exit out of the cell is from the inside."

"There are some unidentified rooms in the prison. Start walking and I'll guide you to them. Keep checking your tail."

"Got it." I began wandering down the halls, the man guiding my every step. I was on a mission, but all I could think of was Zach, how we should've been married right now, how I should've been doing missions with him. I managed to check almost every room, avoiding 3 guards on my way, until we arrived at the final one.

"If she isn't in here, they have her." With that I opened the door, to find Josephine standing in front of a lady dressed as a guard, with a gun to her head.

"You don't want to do this." I eased.

"I don't see why you wanna break out this criminal." She spat in Josephine's face. "I don't see why you don't want me to kill her, a lot of people, including you, will benefit from her death."

"You always were a hasty bitch." With that the woman pressed the gun closer to Josephine's head, and cocked it.

"No!" I raised my hands, catching her attention. "I agree, the world could use one less criminal, but she doesn't deserve to go down like this."

"It doesn't matter what she deserves, what matters is I will kill her." I began to walk closer.

"You are the one who deserves to die." Josephine snapped, her teeth gritted. "You could've had it all, you were the one who was supposed to inherit this. They looked up to you. I looked up to you!" She yelled. "And you disappointed us. You let everything go."

"I didn't want this life, yes that's true. But what I didn't deserve was to watch as my sister shot my husband, and then turned around and shot me straight in the head."

"And I didn't think dead bitches rise from their graves but you always find a way to prove me wrong."

"Rest in hell."

"Please." I begged. "Despite your words, your actions speak a different story. You don't want to bring it to this." I touched her but she flinched, pulling her arm away. "She's hurt you, not once or twice, but multiple times, and you want to get back at her, now, while she's at her weakest. Trust me, this isn't the way."

"I think that this way is just fine."

"Listen, you're a mother, a daughter, a wife, a sister, and more importantly a woman. You know the consequences of taking a life, how it breaks you from the inside out. You don't want your son to grow up with a broken mother." I could see the woman's hand shaking tremendously as her lip began to quiver. "Just slowly give me the gun, slowly put it into my hands." The woman slowly did what I was telling her. I felt the metal cold in my hands before it was lifted right up and pointed back at me.

"You just wasted your breath. It's a sister thing, you wouldn't understand." I quickly grabbed the gun as she held on and pointed it up, watching as the bullet ricocheted off the wall. We began wrestling over the gun, shots still continuing to fire from it. 2 more bullets came from the gun as a silence rode over. Everything was still, not a breath being taken in. But for me it felt like the world was spinning. Spinning, spinning out of hand, and I wasn't in control anymore.

Zach POV

Our helicopter landed next to another big helicopter, which I'm guessing is the one Cammie used.

"Jonas, make sure you know how to get us out if anything happens." He nodded.

"I'll stay here, don't forget to stay alert. They are under the disguise of a normal jail, but it's one of the most high tech jails in the country." I nodded and took the loaded gun from on top of the chair. I hopped onto the grass, looking as it was smashed by my foot. We walked up to the helicopter and looked around, trying to estimate what time it might have gotten here, before I pulled on the locked door handle. Within instants a pale woman with frazzled hair started to bang on the window.

"Tina?" Bex yelled from the other side of the glass. "Zach we need to help her out of there." Bex and I tried to pry open the door in vain, but it didn't budge. Instants later Grant took a couple big rocks. He knocked onto the window signaling Tina to back up. He threw three of the rocks at the weak spot watching as the window shattered in front of us. Tina fell into Bex's arms, gasping for air, her forehead and loose flowy shirt drenched in sweat. There were a couple scratch marks on her arms that might have come from the glass that scraped her arms.

"Are you okay?" Bex gasped, tapping her face.

"I'm fine, just dramatic." She looked up at me, a slight drowsy smile appearing. I rolled my eyes and laughed.

"Yo, what happened?" Grant asked easing closer.

"Cammie's in trouble." The look on Tina's face became grave.

"What kind of trouble?" Bex said, her teeth clenched.

"The kind where she definitely won't be making it out." She pulled herself out of Bex's arms knowing that is she stayed there long enough she wouldn't be breathing. She crawled back into the helicopter, coming back out with a gun stuck in her holster.

"You guys are loaded, or do you need some ammo?"

"We're good."

"How long has she been in there?" Bex asked looking at her watch.

"5 hours, give or take. Long enough to have caused collateral damage."

"How do we get in?"

"Well, from the blueprints I stole from her," she pulled the wrinkled blue paper out of her back pocket. "she went this way. Tina began to lead us down a grass path. We walked through mud and sewage and pipes until we finally reached a metal door. Tina scanned a fake badge which let her in immediately. The doors creaked open.

"How?"

"Picked it up over time. Had someone make it for me."

"B team, we found the target. We're proceeding in." I said into my comms for Liz and Matthew to hear.

"I flew this whole way for nothing." I heard Matthew curse under his breath. "You little shits are unbelievable." I chuckled. Then there was a bang.

"You hear that?" Tina whispered.

"Gunshots." Bex answered in front of me turning the corner. A series of them followed as we all ran down the hall. Black and red lights began flashing all around. I stopped in front of one of the halls where there was a cell door open. I ran towards it to see Cammie standing, gun in hand, and two figures on the floor. She let the gun fall out of her hand, before looking up at me, and falling to her knees. She began sobbing as I rushed to her side. I quickly tried to pull her into my arms, but she pushed me away, shaking her head as the tears streamed down her face. From the side of my eye I saw one of the figures move, my hand migrating to my gun.

"What have you gotten us into?"

This week I tried not to be a complete failure and post a chapter :) I'm stuck on whether I should let Cammie join the circle or if she should make it out of this one. I know most of you will probably say she's shouldn't join the circle, but if she joins I have a very interesting idea for a sequel. Leave a review of what you think I should do. Also, I can't say this enough, but if you are reading any chapter of this story, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE leave a review. I love hearing your opinions! You could literally just say hi and it would make my morning.

GallaghergirlEmbassyrowFan: she wouldn't be Cammie without the voices in her head. The choice is in her hands (and mine tbh) so this path can lead anywhere (and probably means I'll have to re-write the sequel)

Smiles180: Well your wish came true, but nothing ever lasts long in this story. I might have to break your heart to end this story.

Zammieotp: No problem :) there might be more Zammie moments coming your way (it's possible that they could be completely heartbreaking, but moments nonetheless)


	28. Chapter 28

Sorry for taking so long to write, I was contemplating where this story is going to end up. With the help of a very good friend ;) I made my decision. There is only one chapter of this story left. This chapter is dedicated to BritishBombshell007.

Bonus: If you watch 'The Arrow' I've hidden quotes from the show inside, leave a review and lets see how many people will spot them :)

Chapter 28:

Cammie POV

I looked to my bloodstained hands. I attempted wiping them on the concrete floor, but it just mixed the blood with the dirt and it began clumping in my hands. I just wiped it on my grey shirt and black leggings.

I tried steadying my breathing, but instead my hands ended up balling into fists. My cheeks stung from all the tears that had been dripping down them. I felt the gentle breeze at my sides, as I sunk further down.

My head snapped to the side, as two figures now stood, both of their guns pointed at each other.

"No!" Without hesitation I was in the middle of them. "Both of you lower your guns."

Josephine didn't move her gaze off of Zach when she said, "A girl runs away once, maybe it's a misunderstanding." She shrugged. "But if it happens twice, take a hint." Her voice was laced with bitterness.

I could see that his blood was boiling, but he did his best to show restraint. "This girl is my fiancé. It won't be that easy to let go."

"Please, both of you lower your guns." I continued to keep my eyes on both of them as they put their hands at their sides.

I saw Bex, Grant, and Tina appear in the doorway. I'm guessing that the same thing caught all of our gazes. 11 bullets were fired. 3 were missing.

"Josephine." I eased closer. She backed up with a limp, wincing in pain. "You need medical attention." I pressed my ear.

Bex snapped her head to me. "Who the hell are you calling?"

"There are men instructed to help us. I'll have them-"

"Have you completely lost it?" She practically yelled, making me jump. It's not like I've never heard Bex yell, she does it all the time. But that tone, it was a combination of anger and hurt. Of frustration and worry. This was her bottling up every she had wanted to say to me, and trust me, I was listening.

"Bex," Grant put his hand on her shoulder. "It's not the time." She shoved his hand off of her.

"It's the perfect time! What the bloody hell is she thinking, joining the Circle, after everything she did to stop them? After everything they took away from her she chooses to join them? And for what? In the name of protecting us? Were trained spies Cammie, we don't need your-" she instantly fell to the ground, Grant swooping by her side. I saw red mixing in with strands of her hair. The man stepped past her. "She was a little too talkative for my liking." He pressed his comms and helped Josephine up. "Who is being reserved to the east wing?"

"Every single one of them," She pointed her finger at me. "Except her."

Three men showed up, each of them armed, as the directed my friends out. Zach gave me a look that I hated most, disappointment, as he slowly walked out.

The man extended his hand, two purple pills inside. "Alright new girl, pop these in." He stared at me.

I looked to his hand then back to his face. "What? Don't trust me knowing your location?" I picked the pills up from his palm and popped them into my mouth. "If we're gonna be business partners, you're gonna need to trust me."

He simply stared at me deeper and whispered, "I can't trust someone who doesn't trust herself."

Hours Later:

In all honesty, I can't say when I passed out. For all I know, it could've been on the walk to the jet we took. Either way, my welcome to the circle was much more pleasant than the last time.

I woke up in a fairly large bed, with a soft blanket and ample pillows. I was in fresh clothes that didn't have dirt and blood on them. The room was painted a dark shade of beige, with little lighting, and red curtains. The room had a grey sofa that was pushed up against a large window, and a desk directly in front of the bed.

"I hope it's better than last time." A voice echoed off the walls. I turned to see Josephine, bandaged, in the doorway.

Biting my lip, I asked, "Where is your sister?"

She sighed. "She's not dead, if that's what you're asking." I nodded. "You could've let her shoot me." She whispered.

"What?" I asked.

She approached the desk chair, gently sinking into it. "You could've let my sister kill me. It would've set you free, but you didn't do it." She sat on the edge of the chair now.

I turned to the window. "I could never be free. Once you let the darkness inside, it never comes out." I turned back to see her standing in the doorway once again.

"Words spoken from the darkness itself. Now I know where your loyalties lie, Commander Morgan." She winked at me.

"Josephine." I stopped her in her tracks. Her head was tilted to the side. "If you don't mind, I'd like to say goodbye to my family."

There was hesitation in her voice as she whispered, "You have one day." And she limped out.

I rushed out of the door, remembering that they were being held in the east wing. There were stone doors that scraped the floor when I pushed them open. There was a cobblestone path that almost made me trip, twice. But finally, I had arrived at a hallway filled with rooms. The only thing that set it apart from the other halls were the reinforced steel doors that stood in front of each room. I looked at each of the names plastered on the fronts of each door.

Cavan.

Baxter.

Walters.

Newman.

Goode.

I slowly felt myself pulling on Bex's door handle. If there was anyone to talk to first, it was her.

"Staring at the wall and brooding isn't your thing." I tried to say it as lightheartedly as possible.

She gestured around the room. "Do you suggest anything else for me to do?"

"Bex, we need to talk."

"About what, Cammie?" She threw her hands up helplessly. "Let's talk about how you've completely lost your mind over a cup of tea another time." She turned away.

"Bex, I'm dangerous."

"And you need help."

"No," I stopped her. "I need time."

"Oh, so your idea of time is joining a terrorist group?" She cocked an eyebrow.

"Bex I came to say goodbye peacefully for goodness sake!"

Her eyes widened, "What do you mean goodbye?" She whispered.

"I mean that you guys aren't going to stay here. Josephine wants me. You guys get to leave tomorrow." I stood up to leave.

"Over my dead and bloody body am I going to walk out and obey while you stay here." She murmured, loud enough for me to hear.

"Well it's my decision, not yours." I slammed the door and opened the next.

Tina jumped at the sight of her door opening.

"It's just me." I slipped in.

"I'm guessing things didn't go too well with Bex." She gestured to the wall that separated their rooms.

"She doesn't understand. None of you will." I sighed, crossing my arms and leaning further into the wall.

She shrugged. "I kinda do."

"Don't say that to make me feel better." I let out a half-laugh.

"I'm not." She paused. "Family is important, and they're a weakness. Take away someone's family, and in a way, you take away their soul too."

I studied her quietly. "Tina," She looked up to me and our eyes met. "What happened to you?"

"Afghanistan. Then Iraq. Morocco, Cuba, Cairo, Paris, Guatemala, Hong Kong, North Korea, Corto Maltese," she broke off. "I took more lives than I can count," she whispered. "And I come home thinking that it's finally over, that I can breathe," she sighed. "Only to find my parents dead on my doorstep," she wiped her eye gently, getting mascara on her finger. "And I realized the simplest truth, that pain is inevitable, and suffering is optional."

"Tina, you remember how annoying you were in high school?"

She cocked an eyebrow. "You wanna talk about this now?"

"I'm seriously, you were impossible." We both laughed. "And you've grown so much since then."

She wiped a tear from her eye. "Ugh you sound like my mom." She whispered, trying so hard for her voice not to break.

"Be good, and do good, Tina. I'm gonna need a partner in crime when I get back." I slowly shut the door, and in a swift moment opened the door next to it.

"Grant?"

"Yeah, I'm in here." He smiled at me. He seemed to be the only one who wasn't mad at me so far.

"How are you doing?"

"This is the most peaceful kidnapping I've ever been apart of." He chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well if they wanna keep me, they have to comply with my rules. And rule 1 is that no one lays a hand or gun on my family."

"How do you it?" He lowered his head. "How do you always put your family first, to step in front of a bullet and never let someone take the hit for you?"

"When you lose someone, you lose a little piece of your soul." I whispered. "I lost my dad, Grant. And I lost half my soul in the process. I can't go through that again."

"Well, I've always admired you for it. You've been so brave, ever since we first met. But looking into your eyes now, I can see that you're different."

I was broken. I was damaged. I was hurt and scarred and couldn't take it anymore. Different was an understatement.

"Grant, will you do me a favor?"

"Always."

"I will come back and drop something off in about 9 or so months."

"Yeah so you want me to pick it up?"

"Grant." I said. "9 months." I stressed the words.

His eyes lit up. "Oh."

"Please, don't tell anyone. Take care of Zach and Bex, and my mom. They're gonna need you."

"I promise." I stood up to leave. "Cammie," I turned to face him. "Be safe."

"I will. I promise." My voice was empty. It was a lie. I would be everything but safe.

I loomed around the last door, contemplating whether I should open it. I guess when my hand brushed against the handle, it was no longer a question.

"Hey." I said, my voice barely a whisper. Zach sat on the bed, staring at the wall.

"Zach, I'm just here to say goodbye." I closed the door behind me. Still, not a peep from Zach. "I can't say goodbye to you with all the walls you're putting up around you."

"How can you do this?"

"Do you see any other option?"

"You're not doing this because you have no other options!" He shouted.

"You're right." I shot back. "I'm doing this because I don't want to have sex with you and try and kill you all in the same night!"

"So that's your excuse for this? You don't wanna kill me so you wanna join the circle?"

"I'm doing this for you!"

"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it. Adolf Hitler."

He turned away from me, and stared at the wall. "Zach, don't be like this." He continued to ignore me. I stood up.

"Cammie, if you walk out that door-"

"What!" I threw my hands up in the air. "You'll drug me? Kill me? Torture me? There is nothing torturing me more than having to leave you, but I do not want to be the reason you die!"

"If you walk out that door, Cammie, we're done."

"Are you serious?"

"I can't marry you, if your heart is in two places."

I looked at the dainty ring on my finger, admiring it in awe for a little, before gently pulling it off. I grabbed his hands in mine, leaving the ring in his palm.

I looked into his eyes. "I just care about you too much to be with you."

A shadow crossed his face as he whispered, "And I have loved you for half my life, but I am done running after you."

Well, that was a lot.

Let's see who can spot 'The Arrow' quotes! Seriously guys this chapter is jam packed with them. I love interacting with you like this. Comment the ones you find. It's the second to last chapter before the sequel. It's not the end, it's a to be continued. xxx

Comments:

GallagherGirlsEmbassyRowFan: Cammie didn't kill Josephine's sister, but she is in critical condition (it'll be explained more next chapter) You can't predict what happens next because it's usually spontaneous (hey, I like a good surprise)

Smiles180: Oh really? I promise the stuff I'm working on will be so much better (Zammie-wise)

BritishBombshell007: I adore you! Literally I can't thank you enough. This chapter is dedicated to you. You think you can spot 'The Arrow' quotes? I'm putting your inner fangirl to the test ;)


	29. Chapter 29

Okay, my ritual for the end of a story is posting the comments at the top.

BritishBombshell007: Awe I didn't wanna make you cry before the finale :((( YAAAASSSS BEST FRIEND YOU GOT THEM RIGHT, but you missed one (I'll admit, this one could've went both ways)

"I just care about you too much to be with you" Sara Lance

Honestly, I'm pretty sure that last one was a quote but I definitely don't remember so we'll call that a draw. For someone who hasn't watched in ages, you did better than I would have! I hope you liked this last chapter xxx

Zammieotp: Well it's my job right? To make you cry for no reason? Haha just kidding I didn't mean to make you cry this chapter. Thanks :) hope you like this last chapter xxx

Guest: I see what you're doing :) your tactic is smart but I've seen it before... absolutely no spoilers on the sequel! Hope you like this last chapter xxx

GallagherGirlsEmbassyRowFan: I'm sorry I made you cry :( the only thing Cammie's ever wanted is to protect those she loves, even if it means sacrificing herself. Hmm, most likely she has to see them again or the sequel would be kinda boring. :) hope you like this last chapter xxx

Guys this is my last chapter and I feel like crying I didn't know how much of an emotional attachment I had to this story :(

Also, thanks to everyone for understanding Cammie's decision to join the Circle. It just didn't make sense for me to let her out of the darkness just yet. It would be too easy to play it off and make her come back to her senses, and not be crazy anymore. She is spiraling and she can't stop until she hits rock bottom, and I don't feel that she's made it there yet. So thanks for coming on this journey with Me and Cammie and hopefully we won't let you down in the sequel ;)

Chapter 29:

It's all my fault. It's always my fault. I used to fix things in the nick of time. This time there was nothing left to fix. _Thump. Thump. Thump._ With each step my foot hit the ground with a thump, yet as I got closer it faded, and all I could hear was voices.

" _She's experienced with torture."_ They whispered. " _She's just Josephine's new pet. She did half the work and got 3 times farther than us."_

" _I can't trust someone who doesn't trust herself. She can't just walk in here and immediately be accepted, this isn't a charity group."_ They continue. " _She doesn't deserve to die."_

" _She's already dead."_ The last voice echoes in my ears. " _She's just a kid."_

I begin to go faster. _Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump,_ the voices in my head beginning to join in.

" _They were my friends and family and I put them at risk. You don't deserve to see them before they leave._ " They begin. " _The darkness inside you will never come out. My hands leave you dead."_ They continue. " _Do you really think that you can escape this time?"_ They taunt. Then I heard the one voice that I've dreaded for years.

"We're more alike than I thought." She mocked.

"I am nothing like you!" I yelled, grabbing my head. She just looked so real. Everything about her felt real. Her smell, her confident stance, the crinkle under her eyes, and that maniacal smile.

Catherine just laughed and said, "Can't you see?" And for a second I felt chills run down my spine, almost as if Catherine was there once more, as she whispered, "You are falling down the same path that I was on, and I just hope that present of yours," she pointed at the hand that rest on my stomach. "Doesn't grow up to despise you for what you've done." I looked at her, and I could swear I saw a tear roll down her cheek. But that wasn't real, and neither was she.

"Cameron Ann Morgan. Status: Dead. And she's not miraculously coming back this time." She said ever so quietly in my ear. I felt my self slowly turn around, my mind resorting to my first instinct.

I began to run.

My steps on the ground changed from thumps to taps, each heavily hitting the ground faster than the last.

She twirled her finger around her hair. "You can't outrun yourself." She said in a sing-song tone. "And I, am a part of you now."

I pushed harder. Running. Running faster. Trying to outrun her. Trying to outrun myself. Not worrying about who or what I was leaving behind.

"You remind me of myself. I used to be so full of hope. But then I realized that hope is for the weak-minded."

I kept going until I pushed through to my room, and in instants I was standing on the window-seat, opening the gigantic windows.

And for a moment I was at peace, listening to a chorus of morning chirps, enjoying the warmth of the breeze and every ray of sun that kissed my skin. Feeling light as a feather as I swayed in the ambiance and I could feel the cool stones beneath me through my socks. And I basked in it, refusing to let go of the last shred of light that I have. Refusing to submerge into the darkness. Refusing to give in to the one thing that's been haunting me all this time. Myself.

But I looked down, and I saw him. I looked at him, our eyes meeting for not even a second, and I saw the sparkle in his eyes, that faded as he looked away. It was the last time I would see those eyes. And even though he was fading into the distance, even though now we were so far apart, it felt like he was right by my side, and I heard his voice.

"You were the only sure thing I have left." I felt him whisper. I couldn't be real. All of this wasn't real.

Real or not, I got to hear his voice last time. "I know Zach."

The way he moved, and fidgeted with his fingers, it all seemed like reality. A tear couldn't help but roll down my cheek when I looked at the way his frown deepened as he said, "I can't lose you again, Cammie."

I watched him fade away like a memory as I said, "I'm already gone."

And the only thing that snapped me away from him was the chills that ran up my spine one last time, as Catherine said, "We both loved him so much that we had to let him go." That was the last voice, her last words, while she faded away.

I slid down back to the window seat, sinking into the pillows, and realizing that this time I was completely and utterly on my own. I think that out of everything that's happened, that is what scares me the most.

This was my second time trying to leave this room today, and I failed the first time. I couldn't keep it together long enough to even say goodbye to my family. I will try again, I have to go see her. I have to go fix my damaged subconscious, to prove that I'm still one of the good guys. I kept saying this in my head while I walked down the hall. Part of what's happening to her is my fault. So this was it.

I stood in front of her door. This was seriously something I was about to do. Without thinking I opened the door, but all I could do is stand there like the wind had been knocked out of me, wondering why I was there.

The woman laughed. "You look like my sister when she first came to visit me."

"She didn't pull the trigger, I did."

"If she wasn't the way she is neither of us would've been there with a gun in the first place." She said.

I looked at all the bloody gauze on the floor, and some of it on the table next to where I'm assuming the doctor stitched her up. The room was dark and brooding, the cool stones letting the summer breeze seep through them.

I glimpsed at the scars and stitches from her neck to her arm. But the big gash on her leg caught my eye.

Her gaze met mine as she said, "The doctor says a bullet hit my leg bone, damaged a bunch of special tissues, blah, blah, more doctor stuff. Claims that for now I'm paralyzed from the waist down." She put her hand up halting the question I was about to ask. "Don't worry," she pretended to be happy. "Because the best sister ever told me she'll have me walking sooner than I thought." She rolled her eyes. "Someone please get her the award for best baby sister."

"How?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"How can you sit here and joke with the girl who is the reason that you may never walk again?"

I followed the finger that she pointed at a bottle of clear liquid that sat on a table of medications. "I've had a couple of shots of that." She chuckled. "But mostly, it's because I know that you and I are here, against all logic and good will, because Josephine took the one thing that you salvaged, held closer to your heart than anything, and put a gun in between you two. And she did the same to me." She shrugged. "I've learned that if you don't befriend those in your boat, the boat will sink."

"You can't possibly side with me, especially if you found out about the things I've done."

She took a deep breath. "I've killed much more than you. I've tortured people without batting an eyelash. I am a 100 times worse than you, and I am ashamed, but it doesn't stop me from trying to change." She looked like a picture with a smashed frame, and until you removed the glass on top you'll never see the picture underneath.

"What's your goal Sabrina?"

Her eyes got wide. "How did you-"

"Your medications have labels and I can read." I cut her off. "Why are you doing this?"

"You have the potential to defeat my sister."

"Me?" I asked surprised. "Obviously you need glasses because I am so defenseless against her that I've sacrificed my family and the only man that I've actually loved to keep them safe from her."

"Listen, I know you think you can't do this, but trust me when I say that I know you can. Just stay under Josephine's wing, know everything she does. And when I'm fully healed and you're capable," she pointed to my stomach. "Then, I'll train you to learn everything that I know. With practice, you could take her down."

I rolled my eyes. "Does everyone know I'm pregnant?"

"Everyone that matters can tell." She smiled. "Plus, you're literally glowing." We both chuckled before her serious tone reappeared.

"I know that you have a lot to think about, but this is the only way for both of us to be free from Josephine and the Circle."

I fidgeted with my fingers. "I know. And I'll think about it."

"Well for now, I believe you have an initiation ceremony to attend." She pointed to the door as bells began ringing. I picked up my room key and rushed to the door, lingering in the frame.

"Sabrina?"

"Yes?"

"There's not a drop of alcohol in your system, those are opioids, and you know the consequences of mix the two."

"I told you you're a genius." I smiled and rushed to my room."

I stood there in the black bodysuit, as Josephine liked to call it, in front of hundreds of thousands of Circle members. The black bodysuit was a long sleeve leather shirt jacket with leather pants, and they felt very cliché.

I'm Their gazes burned into me, each of them completely untrusting as they watched me walk to the pillar where Josephine stood.

"Raise your left hand and put your right hand onto the sword."

"I, Cameron Ann Morgan, do solemnly swear myself to the Circle, and it's leader, Josephine Cavan VI. I swear to abide by its rules and laws, along with its honors and rituals. To fully accept the consequences of our failures and celebrate our victories with my brothers and sisters. To respect and dedicate my every act to the cause of our predecessor, Ioseph Cavan. I take this oath to fully dedicate myself to the Circle of Cavan." I picked up the knife giving myself a little poke on the finger and letting my blood drip into the bowl.

Josephine looked me in the eyes giving me a gentle nod, encouraging me to go on.

"And from this day forward, I leave my past to linger behind me. I officially cut ties to my family and my previous life to be reborn as Operative 5000."

Josephine dipped her finger into my blood and smeared it on the red wall behind her. "And with this, Operative 5000 will be forever bound to us." A gentle applause began in the crowd as I turned to face them, but it faded as quick as it came.

As everyone dispersed, each person exiting the way that they entered, all of them crawling back into their rooms, I was left to stand in the hallway with one last thought in my head. One more voice saying Sabrina was right.

 _No one really leaves the Circle, but only the student has hope of defeating the master._

 **TO BE CONTINUED.**


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